Major General Mark Graham retired from the US Army on August 1, 2012 after almost thirty-five years of service. His final position was as the Director (G-3/5/7) U.S. Army Forces Command since Sept. 18, 2009. In this position, he oversaw the plans, operations and training for Army forces (active and reserve component) stationed in the Continental United States and ensured conventional forces were prepared for worldwide deployment and combat.
Major General Graham and his wife, Carol, are tireless champions of military and civilian efforts to promote mental health and suicide-prevention awareness, and to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health care. To honor the memory of their two sons, 2LT Jeff Graham who was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in February 2004, and their son Kevin a Senior Army ROTC cadet who died by suicide in June 2003 while studying to be an Army Doctor at the University of Kentucky, the Grahams established the Jeffrey C. and Kevin A. Graham Memorial Fund to provide the “Question, Persuade, Refer” suicide prevention program at the University of Kentucky. The Grahams were instrumental in establishing the Jeffrey and Kevin Graham Memorial Endowed Lectureship in Psychology for the study of depression and suicide prevention at Cameron University, in Lawton, Oklahoma. Additionally, they support the ongoing efforts of the Pikes Peak Suicide Prevention Partnership, Colorado Springs, Colorado (El Paso County), through the “Jeff and Kevin Graham Memorial Crisis Hotline” and "Jeffrey and Kevin Graham Support Services".
Major General Graham was commissioned a second lieutenant of Field Artillery in December 1977 at Murray State University, Kentucky. Spanning almost 35 years, Major General Graham served in several key command and staff positions in the United States, Germany and Korea. Past assignments include Field Artillery Battalion Command at Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Brigade Command in California where he was the first Active-Duty Army Colonel to command a National Guard brigade in peacetime; Commander of the Battlefield Coordination Detachment, Osan, Korea then as the Executive Officer to the U.S. Forces Korea Commander; Chief of Staff and later Deputy Commanding General of the U.S. Army Field Artillery Center and Fort Sill; the Deputy Commanding General of 5th U.S. Army/Army North where he supported evacuation and relief operations following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; then as the Commanding General of Fort Carson, Colorado and Division West of First US Army.
In addition to his Bachelor’s degree in political science, Major General Graham holds a Master’s of Business Administration from Oklahoma City University and a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the National War College.
Major General Graham’s numerous military awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Humanitarian Service Medal.
