Colonel Mark Ciero

Colonel Mark Ciero is the commander and professor of aerospace, Air Force ROTC Detachment 867 at Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont. He leads a cadre of instructors in recruiting, educating, training and professionally developing nearly 250 cadets aspiring to commission as officers in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force.

Before this assignment, Col. Ciero was director, U.S. Air Forces in Europe-United Kingdom supporting NATO, U.S. European Command and other government agencies plan and partner operations with the United Kingdom.

He also deployed as the vice wing commander, 378th Air Expeditionary Wing, Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, supporting U.S. Central Command with tactical air defense, ground attack, aeromedical evacuation and integrated theater-wide air defense.

Graduating with honors in 1991 from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Col. Ciero continued his education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before completing F-15E Weapon Systems Officer training. With more than 2,700 fighter hours, his flying assignments included wing chief, weapons and tactics and standardization and evaluation.

He graduated from the School for Advanced Air and Space Studies prior to commanding the 48th Operations Support Squadron. In 2010, he served as deputy commander to 455th Operations Group, Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan and then attended Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

From 2011 to 2012, he deployed as the deputy command inspector general, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan. Col. Ciero returned to serve as vice wing commander, 48th Fighter Wing, Royal Air Force Lakenheath. In 2014, he joined NATO Allied Air Command as director of management, Commander AF Element, and U.S. senior national representative. In 2017, he became deputy director of operations, strategic deterrence and nuclear integration for U.S. Air Forces in Europe, where he helped oversee the tactical nuclear enterprise and operational planning and execution at the 603rd and 609th Air Operations Centers.

He flew multiple combat deployments over Iraq and Afghanistan.

1991 Bachelor's in aeronautical engineering and engineering mechanics, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado.

1993 Master's in aeronautical and astronautical engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

1998 Squadron Officer’s School (correspondence and residence), Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. 2003 Air Command and Staff College (correspondence), Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.

2006 Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

2006 Master of Airpower Art and Science, School for Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. 2009 Air War College (correspondence), Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.

2011 National Security Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

• Defense Superior Service Medal.
• Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster.
• Bronze Star.
• Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters.
• Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters.
• Aerial Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster Air Force Commendation Medal.
• Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters.
• Combat Readiness Medal with two oak leaf clusters.

Assignments 

• 1991 - 1993: Student, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Air Force Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
• 1993 - 1994: Student, pilot training, Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma.
• 1994 - 1995: Student, navigator, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.
• 1995 - 1996 Student, fighter-bomber navigator, Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida.
• 1996 - 1999 F-15E Instructor weapon systems officer, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina.
• 1999 - 2003 F-15E Evaluator/instructor weapon systems officer, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England
• 2003 - 2004 Special action officer, Command Action Group, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.
• 2004 - 2005 Student, Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
• 2005 - 2006 Student, School for Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
• 2006 - 2007: Chief, wing weapons and tactics; assistant director of operations, 48th Operations Support Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, England.
• 2007 - 2008: Director of operations, 494th Fighter Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, England
• 2008 - 2009: Commander, 48th Operations Support Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, England
• 2009 - 2010: Deputy commander, 48th Operations Group, RAF Lakenheath, England and Deputy Commander, 455th Expeditionary Operations Group, Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan.
• 2010 - 2011: National Security Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
• 2011 - 2012: Deputy command inspector general and senior audit liaison officer, U.S. Forces Afghanistan, New Kabul Compound, Afghanistan.
• 2012 - 2014: Vice commander, 48th Fighter Wing, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England.
• 2015 - 2017, Director of staff, commander, Air Force Element an: U.S. senior national representative, Headquarters AIRCOM.
• 2017 - 2019: U.S. Air Forces in Europe/U.S. Air Forces Africa deputy director of operations, strategic deterrence and nuclear integration, Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
• 2019 - 2020, U.S. Air Forces in Europe-United KIngdom Director, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England.
• 2020 - 2021, Vice commander, 378th Air Expeditionary Wing, Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia.
• 2021 - present: Commander and professor of aerospace, Air Force ROTC Detachment 867

Flight Information

• Rating: Master navigator.
• Flight hours: 2,733 (1,199 instructor, 488 combat) 
• Aircraft: F-15E.

Effective Dates of Promotion

• Second lieutenant, May 29, 1991.
• First lieutenant, May 29, 1993.
• Captain. May 29, 1995.
• Major. March 1, 2002.
• Lieutenant colonel, March 1, 2006.
• Colonel, Aug. 1, 2011.