Mark Kimmitt

Mark T. Kimmitt
File:Kimm0206.jpg Brig. General Mark Kimmitt briefing the press in Washington DC.
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1976-2007
Rank	Brigadier General (Retired)
Battles/wars	Bosnian War Kosovo War Iraq War
Awards	Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit Bronze Star NATO Medal (3)

Mark Traecey Patrick Kimmitt (born 21 June 1954) is the current Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, nominated by President George W. Bush on July 11, 2007 and confirmed by the Senate on June 27, 2008.. Mr. Kimmitt was formerly a Brigadier General in the United States Army, and served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East. prior to joining the State Department. Kimmitt has also served as Deputy Director for Strategy and Plans for the United States Central Command, and Deputy Director for Operations/Chief Military Spokesman for Coalition Forces in Iraq, and served at NATO's SHAPE headquarters in Belgium.

Family

Mark Kimmitt's father is Joseph Stanley Kimmitt (Stan), former Secretary of the Senate and army colonel, who died in 2004. Kimmitt's brother, Robert M. Kimmitt is the current Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Treasury.

Education

Kimmitt graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point as a part of the class of 1976, and earned a Masters in Business Administration degree from Harvard University as part of the class of 1984. He also received master's degrees from the United States Army Command and General Staff College and the National Defense University.

Military career

Kimmitt retired from the US Army a Brigadier General in 2006. While in the Army, Kimmitt had command and staff assignments throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, including planning positions within both Allied and Joint service commands. Additionally, he spent three years as an assistant professor and instructor with the Military Academy’s Department of Social Sciences..

Kimmitt's professional military education includes the Field Artillery Officer Basic and Armor Officer Advanced Courses, the Army Command and General Staff College, the Advanced Military Studies Program, and the National War College. Additionally, Brigadier General Kimmitt completed Ranger, Airborne, Jumpmaster, Naval Gunfire, Joint Firepower Control, Air Assault, Pathfinder, and Jungle Schools.

Controversy and Investigation

Abuse of Subordinates

On Aug. 15, 2008, during Kimmitt's confirmation proceedings, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee received an anonymous letter alleging that Kimmitt abused his subordinates. The Committee asked the Inspector General of the Department of Defense to investigate the allegations. The Congressional Quarterly reported: "Pentagon employees say Mark Kimmitt ... was 'often physically intimidating' and created 'a miserable office environment' that led five of them to get jobs elsewhere, according to a report from the Pentagon's inspector general. Employees told the inspector general that Kimmitt occasionally displayed 'anger that demeaned subordinates and caused them to minimize their interaction with him.' They described 'walking on eggshells' and 'sort of a permanent fear' in the office. Several said he threatened their jobs." The inspector general also found that:

• Kimmitt accused an employee of being "a traitor" after the employee accidentally received an important document intended for Kimmitt.
• Kimmitt "made acetate templates to measure document formats," and he required that documents be reworked if they were a quarter or a tenth of an inch off his specifications.
• Kimmitt established an office rule that no one could speak with someone outside their pay grade.
• A witness reported finding one employee "in tears not less than five times after meeting with" Kimmitt; another said she preferred to have her supervisor present when meeting with Kimmitt.
• Kimmitt "yelled at subordinates for minor grooming matters."

The inspector general's report concluded that Kimmitt "warrant[s] monitoring," noting that his "leadership style was occasionally inconsistent with the standards expected for senior government leaders." Congressional Quarterly used FOIA request to secure a heavily redacted version of the IG report.

The inspector general's office, in a separate letter to the committee, also disclosed "a substantiated allegation that Mr. Kimmitt . . . failed to properly safeguard information, in violation of Army regulations," but it did not elaborate.

The IG sent its initial report to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on January 8, 2008. After the inspector general issued the report the committee received another anonymous letter on Jan. 30, 2008, resulting in further investigation.The Committee nonetheless voted, 12-7, in favor of Kimmitt's nomination. Most Democrats on the committee voted against him. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., who opposed Kimmitt's nomination, said, "There was a significant body of evidence that the way he interacted with employees was, in my judgment, based on what I read, not professional. I think how you treat people in an employer-employee situation is relevant. I don't think it's just get the job done and don't worry about how you treat people." At the April 22 committee meeting, Chairman Joseph R. Biden Jr., D-Del., noted he was very close to Kimmitt's father, who had been secretary of the Senate years ago, and said he therefore would be willing to give Kimmitt the benefit of the doubt, saying, "I'm going to let my hope triumph over my worries. . . . I hope Mr. Kimmitt . . . understands with the delay his misconduct has caused . . . that he will be chastened." Kimmitt was confirmed by the full Senate on June 27, 2008.

Accusations of Lying During Press Conferences

While serving as Deputy Director for Operations/Chief Military Spokesman for Coalition Forces in Iraq, Kimmitt has been accused of lying during press conferences. He also said that no children were killed in the attack, which also turned out to be false.

Awards and decorations

Kimmitt's distinctive awards and decorations include the following:

United States awards

• Defense Superior Service Medal
• Legion of Merit
• Bronze Star
• Defense Meritorious Service Medal
• Meritorious Service Medal
• Army Commendation
• Joint Staff Commendation
• Korean Defense Service Medal
• Global War on Terrorism Medal (Expeditionary and Service)
• Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
• Master Parachutist Wings

Foreign and international awards

• NATO Medal for operations in Bosnia
• NATO Medal for operations in Kosovo
• NATO Medal for operations in Republic of Macedonia.
• NATO Service Medal
• German Parachutist Wings
• German Leistungabzeichen in Gold.

External links

• Mark Kimmitt at IMDb Retrieved on 2008-02-19