SOAA warmly welcomes Dr. Mark Green to the Board of Advisors as its newest member.
Mark (Dr. Green) Green served as a U.S. Army Special Operations Flight Surgeon, accomplished physician, Infantry Officer, successful entrepreneur, state senator, and U.S. Congressional Representative for Tennessee’s 7th District. His career spans frontline military operations, emergency medicine, and high-level policy leadership, giving him a unique perspective to advance SOAA’s mission of elevating the voices of the Special Operations community in national security policy and decision-making.
Dr. Green began his career at the United States Military Academy at West Point, earning a Bachelor of Science in Quantitative Business Management in 1986, followed by a Master’s in Systems Management from the University of Southern California in 1987. He served as an infantry officer, leading rifle and scout platoons in the 194th Separate Armored Brigade and commanded a company in the 82ND Airborne Division. Inspired by a personal family medical crisis, he transitioned to medicine, earning his Doctor of Medicine from Wright State University’s Boonshoft School of Medicine in 1999 and completing an emergency medicine residency at Fort Hood, Texas.
After medical training, Dr. Green became the flight surgeon for the elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, deploying to Afghanistan and Iraq. He participated in Operation Red Dawn, the mission that captured Saddam Hussein, conducting a six-hour interrogation of the former dictator. He earned numerous commendations, including the Bronze Star, Air Medal with Valor Device, Combat Medical Badge, and multiple awards of the Meritorious Service and Army Commendation Medals. His operational experience reflects the evolving landscape of Special Operations, as discussed in The Evolving Mission of U.S. Special Operations Forces.
After retiring from the Army in 2006, Dr. Green led a hospital emergency department staffing company and advanced access to emergency care in underserved communities. He entered politics in 2012, serving in the Tennessee Senate from 2013 to 2018. He then represented Tennessee’s 7th District in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he chaired the House Committee on Homeland Security from 2023 to 2025, focusing on national security, public health, and veteran affairs. His career demonstrates a consistent focus on mission-driven leadership, bridging operational expertise with public policy, a theme SOAA explores in A Call for Vigilance: Rising Terror Threats & Global Instability.
SOAA’s Founder, Daniel Elkins, warmly expressed his excitement that Dr. Green joined the Board of Advisors. “We are proud to welcome Mark to our Board of Advisors. He brings a rare combination of operational experience, medical expertise, and policy leadership. His insight will be invaluable as SOAA continues to elevate the voices of the Special Operations community and strengthen our national security advocacy.”
Dr. Green added, “I am honored to join the Special Operations Association of America in their mission to ensure that the experiences of Special Operations personnel inform decisions in Washington. The men and women of the Special Operations community serve our nation with extraordinary skill and dedication, and their insights must shape national security policy. I look forward to contributing my experience to support SOAA’s mission and advance a safer, stronger America.”
