Courtesy Photo | Lt. Col. Mark Winn, Region 2 Headquarters Border Transition Team chief, listens as his...... read more read more
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Staff Sgt. Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
Task Force Lightning Public Affairs
TIKRIT, Iraq – Difficult tasks in Iraq have been taken by the U.S. military, to include training Iraqi soldiers. One group of Soldiers, Sailors and Marines – one in particular - has the most difficult of those tasks.
Lt. Col. Mark Winn, commanding officer for the Marine Corps' Region 2 Headquarters Border Transition Team, has the arduous task of preparing the Department of Border Enforcement's personnel for service at any one of Iraq's many borders and ports of entry.
In the course of executing his duties, he must work directly with Iraqis and some of their military's senior leadership. Often, he has contact with the citizens of Iraq as he and his small unit work diligently to accomplish their goal – assisting the DBE in protecting their own.
His unit is charged with establishing and monitoring training standards to ensure effective border security.
Additionally, the BTT must ensure strict and equitable compliance with the established rule of law as well as coordinating regional border enforcement operations and force protection.
Winn, a 1986 graduate of Rutgers University, and native of Pleasanton, Calif., has served in the Marine Corps for 18 years. While Winn majored in Russian at Rutgers before receiving his commission, his aspirations weren't always with the Marines.
The well-spoken leader of Marines' BTT speaks charismatically about how he ended up at Rutgers.
"It's a funny story," said Winn. "I started out wanting to join the FBI. Someone told me one of the best ways was to study Russian."
Winn said he initially attended school at the University of Nevada in Reno prior to transferring to the home of the "Scarlet Knights."
"A friend of mine was recruited at Rutgers to play football, and I went with him on the visit and saw they had a good Russian studies program," said Winn, before stating with a grin, "My friend (eventually) went to Harvard."
Winn went on to attend Rutgers, graduating in 1986 with a degree in Russian studies. He then received a commission from the Marine Corps.
"I began to consider the Marines during my senior year (at Rutgers)," Winn declared. After joining the Marine Corps, he had the opportunity to put his major to good use.
"I was able to visit some of the former Soviet states and speak (the language) some," said Winn.
"I can speak Hindi now, the language of India," he revealed. "I studied it as a foreign area officer for the Marine Corps."
Winn also revealed he lived in India for about 15 months and was able to make use of his studies while there.
Winn's dedication to the Marine Corps has kept him coming back despite his lifelong dream of joining the nation's elite at the FBI.
"I've submitted to the FBI twice and the second time almost went," he said smiling. "At the last minute I decided not to go."
Even on his second trip to Iraq, after stints in Haditha and Fallujah, he remains upbeat and enthusiastic about the future.
With Winn's professionalism and charisma funneling down to his Marines, Soldiers and other team members, it's easy to see why he has been successful in the Marine Corps.
Ironically, his journey to the Marines began by embarking down the path of his dreams at Rutgers.
Thank God for "Scarlet Knights" football.
| Date Taken: | 04.02.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 04.02.2007 08:30 |
| Story ID: | 9709 |
| Location: | TIKRIT, IQ |
| Web Views: | 1,027 |
| Downloads: | 270 |
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