At the end of last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Colonel Mark Thieme as the Director of the Florida State Guard.

Thieme is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps with over 35 years of service. He most recently served as a Senior Operations Officer in the United States Marine Corps. Thieme’s accomplishments include launching and standing up a new civil military organization, which was fully operational more than two years ahead of schedule.

Thieme enlisted in 1987, was commissioned in 1994, and supported operations such as Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, Inherent Resolve, Odyssey Dawn and Unified Protector. For his dedication and service, he has received numerous awards such as the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Combat Action Ribbon and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal. Thieme earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of South Carolina and his master’s degree in business administration from Tulane University.