National Guard
Brigadier General MARK G. ALESSIA
  
Director, Joint Staff - (IL)
Joint Force Headquarters
Springfield, IL
Since: October 2021
 Official Photo
SOURCE OF COMMISSIONED SERVICE  ROTC

EDUCATIONAL DEGREES
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - BS - Elementary Education
Kansas State University - MS - Adult, Occupational, and Continuing Education
United States Army War College - MSS - Strategic Studies

MILITARY SCHOOLS ATTENDED
Infantry Officer Basic Course
Infantry Captains Career Course
Chemical Officer Advanced Course
Human Resources Management Qualification Course
Command and General Staff College (Common Core and Advanced Operations and Warfighting Course)
United States Army War College
Senior Officers Legal Orientation Course
Dual Status Commanders Course (NORTHCOM)

FOREIGN LANGUAGE(S)  None Recorded

PROMOTIONS DATE OF APPOINTMENT
2LT 6 Aug 96
1LT 11 Sep 98
CPT 22 Feb 02
MAJ 7 Aug 06
LTC 6 Apr 11
COL 1 Jul 16
BG 6 Oct 21

FROM TO ASSIGNMENT
Oct 21 Present Director, Joint Staff - (IL), Joint Force Headquarters, Springfield, Illinois
Jun 20 Oct 21 Chief of the Joint Staff, Illinois National Guard, Joint Element Joint Force Headquarters-Illinois, Springfield, Illinois
Sep 19 May 20 Chief of Staff, Illinois Army National Guard, Joint Force Headquarters-Illinois, Illinois Army National Guard, Springfield, Illinois
Sep 17 Sep 19 Commander, 33d Brigade Combat Team, Illinois Army National Guard, Urbana, Illinois
Jul 16 Aug 17 Personnel Officer (G1), Joint Force Headquarters-Illinois, Illinois Army National Guard, Springfield, Illinois
Oct 13 Jun 16 Commander, 2d Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment, Illinois Army National Guard, Kewanee, Illinois
Sep 10 Sep 13 Commander, Illinois Recruiting and Retention Battalion, Illinois Army National Guard, Springfield, Illinois
Apr 10 Aug 10 Training Officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 44th Chemical Battalion, Illinois Army National Guard, Macomb, Illinois
Mar 10 Mar 10 Assistant Force Integration and Readiness Officer, Joint Force Headquarters-Illinois, Illinois Army National Guard, Springfield, Illinois
Dec 08 Feb 10 Training Liaison Officer/Assistant Brigade Operations Officer, Illinois Army National Guard Bilateral Embedded Support Team A3, Illinois Army National Guard, Afghanistan
Dec 07 Nov 08 Assistant Force Integration and Readiness Officer, Joint Force Headquarters-Illinois, Illinois Army National Guard, Springfield, Illinois
Jan 07 Nov 07 Student, Command and General Staff College, Illinois Army National Guard, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
Apr 06 Dec 07 Recruiting and Retention Operations and Training Officer, Illinois Recruiting and Retention Battalion, Illinois Army National Guard, Springfield, Illinois
Dec 03 Mar 06 AMEDD Officer, Illinois Recruiting and Retention Battalion, Illinois Army National Guard, Springfield, Illinois
Nov 02 Nov 03 Operations Officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 733d Quartermaster Battalion, Illinois Army National Guard, Delevan, Illinois
Sep 02 Oct 02 Commander, Company Delta, 2d Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment, Illinois Army National Guard, Urbana, Illinois
Dec 01 Aug 02 Area Support Group Liaison Officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 33d Brigade Combat Team, Illinois Army National Guard, Urbana, Illinois and Germany
Oct 01 Nov 01 Commander, Company Delta, 2d Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment, Illinois Army National Guard, Urbana, Illinois
Apr 01 Sep 01 Executive Officer, Detachment 1, Company Alpha, 2d Battalion 130th Infantry Regiment, Illinois Army National Guard, Danville, Illinois
Aug 00 Mar 01 Executive Officer, Company Alpha, 2d Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment, Illinois Army National Guard, Mattoon, Illinois and Kuwait
Oct 99 Jul 00 Executive Officer, Detachment 1, Company Alpha, 2d Battalion 130th Infantry Regiment, Illinois Army National Guard, Danville, Illinois
Feb 98 Sep 99 Platoon Leader, HHC, 2d Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment, Illinois Army National Guard, Urbana, Illinois
Aug 96 Jan 98 Platoon Leader, Bravo Company, 2d Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment, Illinois Army National Guard, Effingham, Illinois

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS DATE GRADE
Chief of the Joint Staff, Illinois National Guard, Joint Element Joint Force Headquarters-Illinois, Springfield, Illinois Jun 20 - Oct 21 Colonel

SUMMARY OF OPERATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS DATE GRADE
Training Liaison Officer/Assistant Brigade Operations Officer, Illinois Army National Guard Bilateral Embedded Support Team A3, Illinois Army National Guard, Afghanistan Dec 08 - Feb 10 Major
Area Support Group Liaison Officer, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 33d Brigade Combat Team, Illinois Army National Guard, Germany Jan 02 - Aug 02 Captain
Executive Officer, Company Alpha, 2d Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment, Illinois Army National Guard, Kuwait Sep 00 - Feb 01 First Lieutenant

US DECORATIONS AND BADGES
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal (with 1 Silver and 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Army Commendation Medal (with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster)
Army Achievement Medal (with 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Meritorious Unit Commendation
Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
National Defense Service Medal (with 1 Bronze Service Star)
Armed Forces Expeditionary Forces Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal (with 2 Bronze Service Stars)
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Silver Hour Glass, Mobilization Device, and Numeral 3)
Army Service Ribbon
Overseas Service Ribbon (with Numeral 2)
Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon
North Atlantic Treaty Organization Medal
Illinois Military Medal of Merit
Illinois Lincoln Medal of Freedom (with Numeral 2)
Illinois Long and Honorable Service Medal (with 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Illinois Military Attendance Ribbon (with Numeral 12)
Illinois State Active Duty Ribbon (with Numeral 3)
New York State Counterdrug Service Ribbon
Combat Infantry Badge
Parachutist Badge
Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Basic Badge

CIVILIAN OCCUPATION

T32 Technician




PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
National Guard Association of United States of America - Lifetime Member
National Guard Association of Illinois - Lifetime Member
United States Armor and Cavalry Association - Member
National Infantry Association - Member

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
Distinguished Graduate - U.S. Army War College DDE
Honor Graduate - RC Chemical Officer Advanced Course
Distinguished Military Honor Graduate - NBC Defense Course
Commandant’s List - Infantry Mortar Leader Course
National Guard Bureau AMEDD Strength Manager of the Year (2004)
Hall of Fame Inductee - University of Illinois Army ROTC
Armor and Calvary Association Honorable Order of Saint George (Silver)
National Infantry Association Order of Saint Maurice (Centurion)
University of Illinois Kappa Delta Pi – National Education Honorary Inductee

 

 

As of: 29 Mar 22

 

The date of publication indicated on this biography reflects the most recent update. It does not necessarily reflect the date of printing.