Lt. Col. Chris Mercado, USA, is a 2004 graduate of the University of South Dakota. He commissioned into active duty through the Green to Gold Program in December 2004 after completing an active duty enlistment. Chris earned his master’s degree from Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program. Chris is a co-founder of the Objective Zero Foundation, a tech nonprofit combating suicide in the military community.

Chris has served over 20 years on active duty as an infantry officer with five combat tours between Iraq, Afghanistan, the West Bank, and Africa, and experiences throughout the Indo-Pacific region. His current assignment is with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, where he leads operations for the Indo-Pacific Directorate. Chris is slated to command the UN Command Security Battalion–Joint Security Area at Panmunjom, Korea, in Summer 2022.

He has been a MOAA member since 2020.