Mark Kimmitt Mark Traecey Patrick Kimmitt ( born 21 June 1954 ) was the 16th Assistant Secretary of State for Political - Military Affairs , serving under George W . Bush from August 2008 to January 2009 . Prior to joining the State Department , he was a Brigadier General in the United States Army , and served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East . Kimmitt has also served as Deputy Director for Strategy and Plans for the United States Central Command , and Deputy Director for Operations / Chief Military Spokesman for Coalition Forces in Iraq , and served at NATO ' s SHAPE headquarters in Belgium . Personal background . Kimmitt was born in Fort Sill , Oklahoma , and is married to Catherine Kimmitt . Kimmitt ' s father , Joseph Stanley Kimmitt was the Secretary of the United States Senate and Secretary for the Majority from 1977 to 1981 . Education . Kimmitt graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point as a part of the class of 1976 , and earned a Masters in Business Administration degree , graduating with distinction , from Harvard University as part of the class of 1984 . He also received master ' s degrees from the United States Army Command and General Staff College and the National Defense University . He earned a certification as a Chartered Financial Analyst ( CFA ) while serving as Assistant Professor of Finance and Economics in the Department of Social Sciences at the United States Military Academy . Military career . Kimmitt retired from the US Army a Brigadier General in December 2006 . While in the Army , Kimmitt had command and staff assignments throughout the United States , Europe , Asia and the Middle East , including planning positions within both Allied and Joint service commands . Additionally , he spent three years as an assistant professor and instructor with the Military Academy ’ s Department of Social Sciences . Kimmitt ' s professional military education includes the Field Artillery Officer Basic and Armor Officer Advanced Courses , the Army Command and General Staff College , the Advanced Military Studies Program , and the National War College . Additionally , Brigadier General Kimmitt completed Ranger , Airborne , Jumpmaster , Naval Gunfire , Joint Firepower Control , Air Assault , Pathfinder , and Jungle School s . Timeline . Kimmitt ' s military service : Awards and decorations . Kimmitt ' s distinctive awards and decorations include the following : Government career . Subsequent to retiring from the Army in 2006 , Kimmitt served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East Policy , responsible for military policy development , planning , guidance and oversight for the region . Kimmitt served in this position until July 31 , 2008 , and was sworn as Assistant Secretary of State on August 8 , 2008 . He left office in January 2009 . Nomination Delay . Kimmitt ' s nomination for Assistant Secretary of State was delayed because of two investigations into anonymous letters sent to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee . Upon receipt of each letter , Sen . Joseph Biden requested that the Inspector General of the Department of Defense ( IG ) investigate the allegations . After a four - month investigation , the IG concluded after the first investigation that " BG Kimmitt ' s leadership style was occasionally inconsistent with the standards expected for senior Government leaders " and that " cognizant management officials should continue to monitor his leadership style . " " [ T ] estimony indicated that morale In BG Kimmitt ' s organization was negatively affected by BG Kimmitt ' s leadership style , combined with the heavy workload and long hours . Finally , we found that BG Kimmitt ' s leadership style discouraged subordinates from free and open communication with him . " The report also stated that the IG " obtained testimonial evidence that tended to mitigate the adverse impact of BG Kimmitt ' s leadership lapses . In that regard several witnesses , primarily BG Kimmitt ' s superiors , emphasized that BG Kimmitt brings superb qualifications and intellect to his position ; that he has strengthened the overall performance of his office ; and that he operates in a stressful , demanding environment , which could trigger confrontation . " The Department of Defense Inspector General ' s office , in a separate letter to the committee , also disclosed " a substantiated allegation that Mr . Kimmitt . . . failed to properly safeguard information , in violation of Army regulations , " but it did not elaborate . The exact nature of this violation has not been disclosed . Controversy . In the aftermath of the Mukaradeeb wedding party massacre , Kimmitt claimed , " There was no evidence of a wedding : no decorations , no musical instruments found , no large quantities of food or leftover servings one would expect from a wedding celebration . There may have been some kind of celebration . Bad people have celebrations , too . " However video footage obtained by the Associated Press seems to contradict this view . The video shows a series of scenes of a wedding celebration , and footage from the following day showing fragments of musical instruments , pots and pans and brightly colored beddings used for celebrations , scattered around a destroyed tent .