It is with deep regret that I inform you of the passing of Rear Admiral (lower half) Mark William Balmert on 13 September 2024 at age 70. Rear Admiral Balmert was commissioned in December 1977 from the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) program at the University of Notre Dame and served as a surface warfare officer until his retirement in September 2008 as Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group THREE/Commander, Amphibious Group THREE. His commands included the guided-missile destroyer
Chandler (DDG-996) and Destroyer Squadron SEVEN (DESRON 7). He served as
Constellation Battle Group sea combat commander during the commencement of Operation Iraqi Freedom and was awarded a Bronze Star.
Mark Balmert graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1977 with a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering. He was commissioned an ensign via the NROTC program on 21 December 1977. Ensign Balmert then reported to Surface Warfare Officers Schools Command, Newport, Rhode Island. In July 1978, he was assigned to guided-missile destroyer
Lynde McCormick (DDG-8) as main propulsion assistant. The ship departed San Diego in March 1979 for her eleventh Western Pacific deployment, returning to San Diego in September 1979. He was promoted to lieutenant (junior grade) in December 1979, before deploying again to the Western Pacific from January to June 1981 and being designated a surface warfare officer that same year.
In October 1981, Lieutenant (j.g.) Balmert reported to the staff of Commander, Seventh Fleet, embarked on command ship
Blue Ridge (LCC-19) as part of the Forward Deployed Naval Force in Yokosuka, Japan, serving as assistant fleet scheduler. He was promoted to lieutenant in January 1982. In November 1983, he commenced studies at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, earning a master of science degree in financial management in 1985. In June 1985, he returned to Surface Warfare Officer Schools Command for duty under instruction.
In March 1986, Lieutenant Balmert was assigned to destroyer
Fife (DD-991) as engineer officer, just in time for major propulsion exams. That September, the ship then went into extensive overhaul, which was interrupted by bomb threats from disgruntled shipyard workers. Balmert was promoted to lieutenant commander in August 1987. Completing overhaul in December 1987,
Fife then conducted extensive preparation for a homeport shift from San Diego to Yokosuka. In July 1988, he reported to Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Virginia. After graduation in January 1989, he was assigned to Commander, United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command in Seoul, Republic of Korea, as contingency plans officer. He was designated a joint specialty officer in 1989.
In February 1991, Lieutenant Commander Balmert assumed duty as executive officer for destroyer
Merrill (DD-976), deploying to the Middle East from San Diego in early 1991 as part of the
Abraham Lincoln Battle Group and participating in Operation Fiery Vigil (Mount Pinatubo eruption) in the Philippines while en route.
Merrill was assigned as flagship for the coalition minesweeping force in the Persian Gulf and was the second warship to visit Kuwait City after its liberation following Operation Desert Storm. Following this deployment,
Merrill conducted counter-narcotics operations in the Eastern Pacific. In June 1992, Balmert assumed duty as flag secretary for Commander, Third Fleet, embarked on command ship
Coronado (AGF-11) at San Diego. He was promoted to commander in March 1993.
In February 1995, Commander Balmert was briefly assigned as chief of staff for Destroyer Squadron THIRTEEN before shifting to the staff of Commander, Cruiser Destroyer Group FIVE as assistant operations officer, embarked on aircraft carrier
Kitty Hawk (CV-63) at San Diego. In January 1996, Commander Balmert attended the Senior Officer Ships Material Readiness Course in Newport.
In April 1996, Commander Balmert assumed command of
Kidd-class guided-missile destroyer
Chandler (DDG-996). During his time in command,
Chandler shifted homeport from San Diego to Everett, Washington, and went through two pre-deployment work-up cycles for cancelled deployments (not due to
Chandler) before finally conducting a three-month Eastern Pacific counter-narcotics operation, which included 13 boardings.
Chandler was awarded the Destroyer Squadron NINE Battle “E” for this period.
In December 1997, Commander Balmert reported to Cruiser Destroyer Group ONE as assistant chief of staff for operations and plans, embarked on aircraft carrier
Constellation (CV-64) and deploying from San Diego in June 1999 to the Western Pacific. The battle group first responded to tensions on the Korean Peninsula before continuing to the Persian Gulf to conduct strikes and no-fly zone enforcement in support of Operation Southern Watch in Iraq. He was promoted to captain in April 1999. In September 1999, Captain Balmert was assigned to Commander, Navy Personnel Command, Millington, Tennessee, as surface commander assignments branch head (PERS 410).
In June 2001, Captain Balmert assumed command of DESRON 7, deploying as sea combat commander in November 2002 with the
Constellation Battle Group on
Constellation’s last deployment. The group subsequently operated in the North Arabian Sea in support of continuing Operation Enduring Freedom strikes and then transited to the Persian Gulf for the commencement of Operation Iraqi Freedom strike operations.
In May 2003, Captain Balmert was assigned as chief of staff for Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, in San Diego. In June 2004, he reported to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations as director of Operations Division, Office of Budget, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Financial Management, and comptroller/director of Operations Division, Fiscal Management Division. He was promoted to rear admiral (lower half) on 1 June 2005. At some point, he attended National Securities Management Course at the Maxwell School of Citizenship at Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York.
In June 2006, Rear Admiral Balmert assumed duty as Commander, Amphibious Group THREE, which then transitioned and was commissioned as Expeditionary Strike Group THREE on 17 April 2007. Its mission was to certify expeditionary strike group forces for deployment and maintain proficiencies as a staff to provide fleet commanders with an extremely flexible ready fly-away unit. Rear Admiral Balmert was a member of Capstone 2006-3. He retired on 1 September 2008.
Rear Admiral Balmert’s awards include the Legion of Merit (five awards); Bronze Star Medal; Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Meritorious Service Medal (three awards); Navy Commendation Medal (four awards); Joint Service Achievement Medal; Joint Meritorious Unit Award; Navy Unit Commendation (two awards); U.S. Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation; Meritorious Unit Commendation (two awards); Battle Efficiency Ribbon (four awards); National Defense Service Medal (two awards); Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; Southwest Asia Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Armed Forces Service Medal; Humanitarian Service Medal; Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (six awards); Overseas Service Ribbon (two awards); and the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait).
Following retirement from active duty, Rear Admiral Balmert worked for Northrop Grumman as a strategic senior consulting manager. For the last six years, he served as the president of the San Diego Military Advisory Council before retiring earlier this year.
Rear Admiral Balmert’s career exemplified the extraordinary sacrifice and exemplary leadership required to attain flag rank as a surface warfare officer, with multiple back-to-back-to-back sea tours (six deployments) on ships with a culture of excellence (four Battle “E” ribbons, at least one of which was for his own command). In some respects his career looks like a typical surface warfare path out of the detailer’s briefing, but he had numerous unique challenges. For example, it’s tough enough being the engineer during a major ship overhaul without being repeatedly interrupted by bomb threats. He served on the flagship for a coalition force sweeping more than 1,000 Iraqi mines from the Persian Gulf, pulling into Kuwait City while the oil fields were still on fire after Desert Storm. He served on a ship engaged in evacuating U.S. personnel and dependents from a massive volcanic eruption. His command (
Chandler) was scheduled to be the first dedicated escort for an amphibious ready group, only to have that cancelled by the Navy. Then, another deployment was cancelled, coupled with a homeport shift, circumstances that one could expect to be a morale buster, and yet his ship still won the Battle “E,” a testament to great leadership. He was awarded a Bronze Star as sea combat commander for the
Constellation Battle Group at the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In his final tour, he transitioned Amphibious Group THREE into Expeditionary Strike Group THREE, significantly changing the nature of amphibious ship deployments and capability. Even after retiring, he continued to support the U.S. Navy as president of the San Diego Military Advisory Council. His career entailed great sacrifice on the part of his family, for which the Navy and nation should be very grateful, but he was an officer who truly made a positive difference, one we should not forget.
Rest in Peace, Admiral Balmert.