Mark I. Choate returned in July to his faculty position as a history professor at BYU with a Legion of Merit military award from the United States Armed Forces. The award is the seventh in order of precedence among all U.S. military awards.
Choate was on leave for a diplomatic tour of duty in N’Djamena, Chad, for 30 months while he served as the United States Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché. He led U.S. engagements with African partners in Sudan, Chad, and across the Sahel.
The award, which Choate received in May 2024, was presented for his "exceptionally meritorious service over a distinguished career, while serving in positions of increased responsibility" and his "distinctive accomplishments throughout a fine career are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the United States Army,” the award certificate reads. His work laid the foundation for what is called the Five-Track Engagement Plan, which was made to prevent further conflict and violence.
"I was responsible for all U.S.-Chad military relations, security cooperation, and security assistance," Choate says. "The award means a lot to me because some people I genuinely admire, such as Samuel Eliot Morison and Grace Hopper, also received the Legion of Merit as their highest decoration."
Throughout his entire military career, Choate has provided invaluable service.
“I retired in August as a colonel after a 35-year career in the United States Army, having enlisted at age 17 in the Oklahoma National Guard. I served as a combat medic, joint military planner, special operations historian, on active-duty tours in Afghanistan, Korea, Germany, Sudan, Central African Republic, and Chad,” say Choate.
Choate shared a special experience from his time in Chad, beginning with a record flooding that took place in Chad, Darfur, and Central African Republic, in 2022.
“This was going to lead to flooding in the capital of N’Djamena on the Chari River on the way to Lake Chad and I did not have any resources to assist,” he explains.
He spoke with the Chadian commander of military engineers for two hours about building temporary dykes and barriers.
“I was so proud of the Chadian response to this instance of global warming, as there was no cholera outbreak, and no flooding of the capital city. Even though the river was above the normal riverbank, the Chadian Army, through tremendous efforts, kept building higher and higher berms to keep out the water,” Choate says.
Additionally, the Chadian army used vehicles to move civilians who had been displaced by the flooding and engineers sanitized their fire engines to provide them clean drinking water.
History Department Chair Brian Cannon, expressed gratitude and admiration for Choate and his work.
“Each of [his] difficult assignments entailed great sacrifices made by Dr. Choate and his family out of their deep love for this nation,” Cannon says.
Cannon has seen up close the challenges of shifting “repeatedly between two demanding careers,” as his brother served in the military and worked as a professor at BYU-I. And Cannon explained how he has seen Choate work past these challenges and contribute to the department.
“As a faculty member at BYU, Dr. Choate has enriched our curriculum by developing courses that draw upon the expertise he developed through his military service, including a course on strategy in peace and war and a course on terrorism. Dr. Choate possesses a much more intimate connection to those topics and draws upon a wealth of personal experience and insight as he teaches,” Cannon says.
Choate's area of expertise focuses on European, African, and world history, strategy in peace and war, and other topics. “History is one of the best preparations for a diplomatic and military career, to contribute to world peace,” he says.
So far, Choate has spent two-thirds of his life in military service and says it has been an honor and a privilege.