Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Mark Choate, a BYU history professor and retired Army colonel, received the Legion of Merit.
- Choate was recognized for his diplomatic work, including establishing U.S.-Sudan military relations.
- He emphasizes peacemaking's importance and integrates real-world experiences into his teaching.
PROVO — A BYU history professor was awarded a Legion of Merit for exceptional service in diplomacy.
Mark Choate, a recently retired army colonel, received a Legion of Merit this fall for his work building diplomacy. The Legion of Merit was created by an act of Congress in 1942 and is awarded to armed forces members for "exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements."
One of Choate's biggest achievements includes opening a track for the U.S. Special Forces to help with anti-terrorism efforts in the Sahel region of Africa, a BYU release said. There had been no military-to-military relationship between the U.S. and Sudan since 1989 when Choate arrived in 2016.
"I was able to help establish that relationship and host the first U.S. flag officer, general officer, visit in over 30 years," Choate said. "I am grateful to receive the Legion of Merit and thank my family also for decades of support in balancing multiple mobilizations, deployments, command responsibilities and travel around the world from Afghanistan to Zambia."
Choate said diplomatic missions carry a higher and broader purpose, relying on small teams to bring peace to others.
"Preventing wars from happening in the first place is by far the best way to save lives and all the horrible costs of armed conflict," Choate said.
Choate enlisted in the Army National Guard at 17 years old while at Yale College. He switched to the Army Reserve before finishing a doctorate in history from Yale. Over his 35 years in the Army, he served in several deployments, including with the U.S. Special Operations Command in Afghanistan during the collapse of the Taliban.
"Change for the better doesn't just happen by itself," Choate said. "Peacemaking is a big part of the BYU mission and also of military planning and diplomacy. And it's really one step at a time, one action at a time."
Choate was awarded the heroic Bronze Star in 2011 for his collection of regional military histories and his handbook on Afghan village stability, the university said. Choate recently returned from a 30-month assignment as the U.S. senior defense official and defense attaché in Chad.
Choate joined the history faculty at BYU in 2001 and said he uses real-world experiences in his courses to emphasize the importance of peacemaking.
BYU students are well-suited for military and diplomacy careers because of the university's standards for integrity, discipline, and drug and alcohol-free lifestyles, and many students have language skills and international experience, Choate said.
"As a long-standing proponent of Pro Deo et Patria (the Army Chaplain Corps' motto "For God and Country"), Choate sees his work and service — as a scholar, teacher, soldier, officer, and diplomat — grounded in personal 'moral fiber.' He maintains that 'God is available all the time, everywhere, at any moment,'" the university said.
