About
AT A GLANCE:
Distinguished Professor at the College of International Security Affairs, National
Defense University & Chair of Irregular Warfare Strategy
RESEARCH AREAS:
Irregular Warfare with a focus on threat groups emerging from societal contradictions.
BIOGRAPHY:
Dr. Thomas Marks, a graduate of the United States Military Academy, completed his doctoral work in
his home state of Hawaii. For 14 years, he served as the Chair and Professor of Social
Science at the Academy of the Pacific, a private high school. Concurrently, he enjoyed
a successful career spanning over two decades as a cross country and track coach.
Dr. Marks is an accomplished author with hundreds of publications to his name. His
recent books include "Irregular Warfare" (2022), "Perspectives on the American Way
of War: The U.S. Experience in Irregular Combat" (2019), and "People’s War: Variants
and Responses" (2018). Notably, he co-authored "Crafting Strategy for Irregular Warfare"
(Sept 2022) with CISA’s Dr. David Ucko.
In 2006, Dr. Marks was honored as the AFSOS Educator of the Year, followed by the Royal Military Institute of Manitoba awarding him the "Fellow" Award in 2007. His significant contributions to the Colombian Army's counterinsurgency effort earned him the Military Medal "Faith in the Cause" in 2014. Dr. Marks also conducted fieldwork on female combatant motivation in the Nepali Maoist insurgency, supported by a MINERVA grant in 2016.
Throughout his career, Dr. Marks has taught a diverse range of classes, from Remedial English to Dynamics of Irregular Warfare, incorporating themes like Algebra II/Trigonometry and Perspectives on the American Way of (Irregular) War. Notably, he served as Soldier of Fortune magazine’s Chief Foreign Correspondent during the Yellow Rain genocide in Laos.