Lieutenant Colonel Markert graduated from high school in Virginia Beach, Virginia in 1989 and attended college at Virginia Tech, graduating in May 1993. After graduation from the Officer Candidates Course at Quantico, Virginia, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in December 1993.
Following graduation from the Basic School in Quantico, Virginia and the Logistics Officer Basic Course at Norfolk, Virginia, Lieutenant Markert was assigned to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and reported to the 2d Landing Support Battalion, 2d Force Service Support Group (FSSG) in January 1995. During his tour with 2d FSSG he deployed with numerous task-organized combat service support units. He served as a landing support platoon commander in support of JTF-160, Operation SEA SIGNAL in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and as the CSSD-66 operations officer in support of Exercise BATTLE GRIFFIN in Norway. He also served as the logistics officer for CSSD-27 during Combined Arms Exercises (CAX) 9/10-96 at Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center 29 Palms, and headquarters commandant for II MEF (Fwd) during Exercise BALTIC CHALLENGE in Estonia. After being promoted to Captain in January 1998, he deployed as the logistics officer for MEU Service Support Group-26 and supported Operation JOINT GUARD in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
In September 1998, Captain Markert was assigned to the 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, California. He initially served on the Division staff and was subsequently reassigned to 3d Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, where he served as the battalion logistics officer. After completing CAX 2-00 and the pre-deployment training period with the 13th MEU, he deployed to the western Pacific and the Middle East from 2000-2001. While deployed he participated in Operation STABILISE in East Timor and Operation DETERMINED RESPONSE, supporting the USS COLE after it was attacked by terrorists in Aden, Yemen.
Captain Markert was transferred to I MEF Headquarters Group in May 2001, where he served as the assistant logistics officer and as Headquarters Commandant, 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB). In September 2001 he deployed with 1st MEB to Egypt for Exercise BRIGHT STAR and subsequently to Kuwait as a member of C/JTF-Consequence Management in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
In January 2003 Captain Markert reported to Expeditionary Strike Group One at the 32nd Street Naval Station in San Diego to serve as the logistics plans officer. He deployed in August 2003, and during the following seven months he supported Operations ENDURING and IRAQI FREEDOM in southern Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Horn of Africa. He was promoted to Major in October 2003.
Upon return from deployment in 2004, Major Markert reported to the Marine Corps Command and Staff College in Quantico, Virginia. Following graduation in summer 2005, he served as Commanding Officer, Kilo Company at Officer Candidates School, where he trained and evaluated future Marine Corps officers in the Platoon Leaders Class. Maj Markert was then assigned to Headquarters, Marine Corps, where he served as the Logistics Occupational Field Sponsor and Prepositioning Programs Section Head within the Department of Installations and Logistics from 2005-2008.
In July 2008 Major Markert reported to the 3rd Marine Regiment in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii to serve as the logistics officer. He participated in Exercise RIMPAC and then deployed in October 2008 with the regimental staff to Afghanistan as the logistics officer for SPMAGTF-Afghanistan and Regimental Combat Team-3. Over the course of a year he participated in numerous named operations, to include Operation KHANJAR in Helmand Province. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in October 2009.
In December 2009 Lieutenant Colonel Markert reported to Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific and assumed duties as the Plans, Operations, and Exercises Branch Head in the G-4. During his time at MARFORPAC he routinely participated in Exercises KEY RESOLVE and ULCHI FREEDOM GUARDIAN in Korea and also supported Operations TOMODACHI and PACIFIC PASSAGE following the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.
Lieutenant Colonel Markert’s personal decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with one Gold Star, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with two Gold Stars, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and the Army Achievement Medal.
Lieutenant Colonel Markert is a graduate of the Amphibious Warfare School non-resident program, the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, the U.S. Army Airborne School, and the U.S. Navy Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) Course. He holds a Master of Military Studies from Marine Corps University and is currently earning a Master of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
Lieutenant Colonel Markert is married to the former Kathryn Lynn Benedum of Sheboygan, Wisconsin. They have one daughter, Emily.