Major General Mark W. Palzer entered the Army in 1982. A Distinguished Military Graduate commissioned as a Second Lieutenant upon graduation from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. After nine years of Active Component service, Major General Palzer transferred to the Army Reserve in 1991. He holds a Masters of Strategic Studies from the Army War College and a Masters of Business Administration from Pacific Lutheran University, in Tacoma, Washington. His military education includes the Quartermaster Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, the Combined Armed Services and Staff School, Command and General Staff College, and the Army War College.
Prior to his assignment as the Commanding General of the 79th Theater Sustainment Command, he served in Washington, D.C. as the Deputy Director for Logistics Operations, J4, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Major General Palzer commanded several units during his career including the 143d Expeditionary Sustainment Command, Orlando, Florida; the 642d Regional Support Group in Decatur, Georgia; the 9th Logistics Detachment in Baghdad, Iraq; the 165th Quartermaster Group at Fort Belvoir, Virginia; the 213th Quartermaster Battalion in Wausau, Wisconsin; and the Headquarters and Supply Company, 10th Supply of the Transport Battalion, 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York.
Other assignments include: Chief Joint Logistics, CJ4, Deputy Chief of Staff, Resources, International Security Assistance Force-Headquarters, Kabul, Afghanistan; Chief of Staff for the 316th Expeditionary Sustainment Command in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania; Deputy Chief of Staff for Force Integration at the 99th Regional Readiness Command in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania; Deputy Commander of the 646th Area Support Group in Madison, Wisconsin; Group Staff of Logistics, 633d Corps Support Group Madison, Wisconsin; Brigade Logistics Officer for the 6th Brigade (Professional Development), 84th Division, Waukegan, Illinois; Plans and Operations Officer for the Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics of the 98th Division (Institutional Training) in Rochester, New York; Schools Officer at the 79th Army Reserve Command in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania; Brigade Logistics Officer, 157th Separate Infantry Brigade; Executive Officer of the 710th Main Support Battalion Fort Drum, New York; Battalion Support Operations Officer for the 3rd Forward Area Support Team, Fort Drum, New York; 10th Supply and Transport Battalion, 10th Division Support Command, 10th Infantry Division (Mountain) Materiel Officer at Fort Drum, New York; Supply Officer for the 593rd Area Support Group at Fort Lewis, Washington; and the Executive Officer and Platoon Leader for the 543rd Supply Company, 80th Ordnance Battalion at Fort Lewis, Washington.
Mobilizations and deployments include Operation Iraqi Freedom from June, 2007 through July, 2008 and Operation Enduring Freedom from October, 2012 through November, 2013.
Major General Palzer’s significant awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Army Achievement Medal..