Oak Grove's Col. Martin retires

Nearly 200 friends, family, and faculty and staff of the Defense Information School (DINFOS), gathered at Fort Meade, Maryland, in the DINFOS auditorium, to bid farewell to Colonel Marlon Martin, and his family, at his recent change of command and retirement ceremony.
Colonel Martin has completed a highly decorated 30-year military career, characterized by outstanding and honorable service, rendered at the highest levels of the Department of Defense.
Colonel Martin’s career culminated in nearly 40 months of brigade level command, of the Defense Information School, the nation’s premier institution for public affairs and visual information training.
A native of Oak Grove, Colonel Martin is the son of former West Carroll Parish School Board President, J.T. Martin, Sr., and Mrs. Helen Martin.  Colonel Martin is a graduate of Oak Grove High School.  He is a distinguished ROTC graduate of Grambling State University, earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science.  Colonel Martin earned Master’s Degrees in Human Resources Development from Webster University, and also earned a Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. 
Colonel Martin has also done graduate study with Liberty University, and the University of Oklahoma.
Colonel Martin was commissioned in the Infantry, served for over a decade in the Military Intelligence Corps, and the final 13 years of his career as a Public Affairs Officer.  During the course of his storied career he served 3 tours in the Pentagon, and served on the staff of 3 Secretaries of Defense (Rumsfeld, Gates, Panetta).  His career highlights include assignments as Company Commander at the Defense Language Institute (Monterey, CA); Executive Officer in the 500th Military Intelligence Brigade (Camp Zama, Japan), Operations Officer in the U.S. Special Operations Command Joint Intelligence Center (McDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Florida), Spokesperson for the Secretary of the Army (Pentagon); Director of Public Affairs for the Joint Task Force at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Senior Military Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs (Pentagon), Defense Press Officer and Media Advisor for the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (Pentagon), and Commandant of the Defense Information School, Fort Meade, Maryland.
Colonel Martin, and his lovely wife of 30 years, Ava, has 2 children, Jeremy and Rachel.  Jeremy is a graduate of Frostburg State University (Frostburg, MD), a federal employee in the security field, and is studying for his Master’s at Towson State University (Baltimore, MD).  Rachel is a senior honor student at Meade High School, Fort Meade, MD.
Colonel and Mrs. Martin received numerous awards and accolades during the ceremony.  Colonel Martin was awarded the Legion of Merit for outstanding career service.  He also received a certificate of appreciation, and a personal letter of thanks from President Barack H. Obama.  Mrs. Martin received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Secretary of the Army for her outstanding service and support.  She was also lauded for her outstanding volunteer service in the community, which resulted in 2 consecutive Outstanding Volunteer Service awards from President Obama.
Among the many guests attending the ceremony, Colonel Martin’s brother, Red, from Atlanta, Georgia; his niece, Kala, and husband, Maurice, from Glen Burnie, Maryland;  Kala and Maurice’s son, Langston, a student at Morehouse College in Atlanta;  also attending, his niece, LTJG (Lieutenant Junior Grade), Lusi Martin, Public Health Corps, Rockville, Maryland.

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