Mark S. Boensel

Mark Stephen Boensel was born on 26 December 1955.{{cite web |url=https://www.floridaresidentsdirectory.com/person/103613436/boensel-mark?amp |title=Mark Stephen Boensel

|publisher=Republican Party of Florida |access-date=25 September 2020 }}{{cite web |url=https://clustrmaps.com/person/Boensel-7ror20 |title=Mark Stephen Boensel |publisher=Cluster Maps |access-date=25 September 2020 }} He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, with the class of 1978. He completed flight training and qualified as a naval flight officer in 1979. He trained on the Lockheed S-3 Viking with Sea Control Squadron 41 (VS-41), then joined Sea Control Squadron 29 (VS-29) for a deployment to the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean aboard the aircraft carrier {{USS|Kitty Hawk|CV 63|6}}, and a round-the-world cruise on the aircraft carrier {{USS |Carl Vinson|CVN 70|6}}. He then rejoined VS-41 as a flight instructor, and served with Carrier Air Wing Ten as its Submarine Warfare Officer and Administrative Officer.{{cite web |title= Rear Admiral Mark Boensel > United States Navy > BioDisplay |publisher=United States Navy |url=https://www.navy.mil/Leadership/Biographies/BioDisplay/Article/2235942/rear-admiral-mark-boensel/ |access-date=24 September 2020}}

In 1989, Boensel graduated from the U.S. Naval War College, and joined Sea Control Squadron 37, where he served as its Training Officer, Operations Officer, and Maintenance Officer. He deployed with it to the Indian Ocean in 1990 on the aircraft carrier {{USS|Independence|CV 62|6}} as part of Operation Desert Shield. After this deployment he went to Washington, D.C. as the Special Assistant for Aviation to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations and Environment). He returned to VS-37 in 1994 as its Executive Officer, and deployed with it to the Western Pacific on the Kitty Hawk. VS-37 was disestablished in 1995, and he assumed command of VS-29 in July 1995, which deployed to the Persian Gulf on the aircraft carrier {{USS|Abraham Lincoln|CVN 72|6}}.

Sea duty normally alternates with shore duty, so Boensel returned to Washington, D.C., as a Military Assistant in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and then, in 1997, in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. He was an Executive Assistant on the staff of the Commander, Naval Air Force, Pacific from June 1999 to January 2001. He assumed command of Naval Air Station Jacksonville in April 2001, and was promoted to the rank of rear admiral (lower half) in March 2004.{{cite book |title=Congressional Record – 108th Congress (2003–2004) – 2nd Session |volume=150 |issue=37 |page=S3047 |publisher=United States Senate |location=Washington, D. C. |date=23 March 2004 |url=https://www.congress.gov/crec/2004/03/23/CREC-2004-03-23.pdf |access-date=24 September 2020 }} He returned to Washington, D.C., in July 2004 as the Director of the Environmental Readiness Division (N45) in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, and was promoted to rear admiral (upper half) in May 2007.{{cite book |title= Congressional Record – 110th Congress (2007–2008) – 1st Session |volume=153 |issue=8 |page=S5612 |publisher=United States Senate |location=Washington, D. C. |date=3 May 2007 |url=https://www.congress.gov/crec/2007/05/03/CREC-2007-05-03.pdf |access-date=24 September 2020}} He commanded Navy Region Southeast from December 2005 to October 2007, and Navy Region Mid-Atlantic from November 2007 until September 2011.{{cite news |title=Boensel closes 33-year naval career, Mid-Atlantic Region welcomes Alexander |newspaper=Military News |first=David |last=Todd |date=28 September 2011 |url=https://www.militarynews.com/norfolk-navy-flagship/news/change_of_command/boensel-closes-33-year-naval-career-mid-atlantic-region-welcomes-alexander/article_4ffcfac0-bdf7-5a1d-a53e-582e82cb9025.html |access-date=24 September 2020}} In August 2010, he was one of three admirals on the administrative panel that reviewed the case of astronaut Lisa Nowak, and recommended her separation from the Navy with an other than honorable discharge and reduction in rank.{{cite book |last=Moore |first=Kimberly C. |title=Star Crossed: The Story of Astronaut Lisa Nowak |year=2020 |location=Gainesville |publisher=University Press of Florida |isbn=978-0-8130-6654-7 |oclc=1196086096 |page=251 }}

In addition to his Bachelor of Science degree from Annapolis, Boensel earned three master's degrees: in Business Administration, Internal Relations and National Security and Strategic Studies.{{cite web |url=https://www.cnic.navy.mil/Regions/cnrse/about/biographies/mark_boensel/ |title=Mr Mark S. Boensel |publisher=Commander, Navy Installations Command |access-date=24 September 2020}} During his naval career, he received many awards, including the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit four times, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal twice, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal four times. He had flown over 3,200 flight hours, made more than 600 carrier arrested landings.

Boensel officially retired from the Navy on 1 January 2012, and moved to Jacksonville, Florida. He founded his own consulting firm, Boesel Consulting Services, and served for two terms on the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He also was an independent director on the Board of Directors of Route1, Inc., a firm that provided cyber-security solutions for mobile devices.{{cite news |newspaper=Scoop Deck |title=So Much for Retirement ... |first=Bill |last=McMichael |date=4 January 2012 |url=http://scoopdeck.navytimes.com/2012/01/04/so-much-for-retirement/ |access-date=27 September 2020}} In 2016, he joined the advisory board of FlingGolf.{{cite web |title= Admiral Mark Boensel joins PlusOne Sports/FlingGolf as newest Advisor |publisher=FlingGolf |url=https://flinggolf.com/blogs/news/plusone-sports-flinggolf-announces-ret-admiral-mark-boensel-as-newest-advisor |access-date=24 September 2020}}

{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boensel, Mark S.}}

Category:Naval War College alumni

Category:Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal

Category:Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal

Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit

Category:United States Navy rear admirals (upper half)

Category:United States Naval Academy alumni

Category:United States Naval Flight Officers

Category:1955 births

Category:Living people