FARMER, MARK DOUGLAS – LIEUTENANT COLONEL, USAF/R

FARMER, MARK DOUGLAS – LIEUTENANT COLONEL, USAF/R

FARMER, MARK DOUGLAS – LIEUTENANT COLONEL, USAF/R

Class of 1977
Service: U.S. Air Force
Service Dates: 1982-2006
Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
MOS: Command Pilot, Electronic Warfare Officer, Inspector General
Mark Douglas Farmer was born on November 11, 1958 (same day as General George S. Patton), in Louisville, Kentucky, his father, Doug, was 23 and his mother, Anne, was 22. Mark is married to Michelle Johnston Milbourne. They have two sons by birth, Dustin and Gabe as well as two by Michelle’s previous marriage, Brandon and Devin Milbourne. Mark has one brother, Jeff Farmer, Major (Ret), USAR, and one sister, Beth Farmer Poplin. Mark graduated from Virginia Tech in 1982 where he received a scholarship in the USAF ROTC program and participated in the Virginia Tech (VT) Corp of Cadets. Upon graduating and being commissioned as a 2nd Lt in the USAF on 11 June 1982 Mark attended Undergraduate Navigator Training at Mather AFB CA, with a follow-on assignment of specialty training as an Electronic Warfare Officer (EWO). Mark’s first operational assignment was in the B-52H at Carswell AFB, TX from 1984 to 1986. While there he received a Masters of Science (MS) in Industrial Technology from Texas A&M and orders to attend Undergraduate Pilot Training at Reese AFB, TX. Upon graduation Mark flew C-141Bs at Charleston AFB, S.C. participating in numerous missions to include JUST CAUSE and DESERT STORM. Mark later received orders to fly Very Important Person (VIP) airlift or as the USAF referred to it “Special Airlift Missions (SAM)” for the 89th AW at Andrews AFB, MD. While at Andrews Mark flew everything but the B-747. Thereafter Mark went to Scott AFB, IL to work on the HQ AMC Safety Staff for General Ron Fogleman. With the post-Desert Storm Reduction in Force (RIF) where the USAF went from 1 Million airmen down to less then 300 thousand Mark was given a waiver to transfer to the USAF Reserves where he proudly served another 12 years as a mobile Command and Control (C2) Commander deploying for worldwide operations. While a Reservist Mark also worked full time at Shenandoah Springs (1995-2002) Madison VA and attended/read for the Law in the Virginia "Law Reader Program" under the apprentice of George Webb, Madison County Virginia Commonwealth Attorney (2000-2003) which lead to taking the Virginia Bar Exam. This program was established by George Wyeth when he taught his apprentices Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson in Williamsburg in 1766. Proceeding this Mark studied for his LLM (Law Masters) in Intellectual Property at George Mason Law School (now Antonin Scalia Law School). The Virginia Board of Bar Examiners under the Supreme Court of Virginia still maintains this program today. Mark also continued to serve as a USAF Reservist and retired as the Inspector General at the 459th ARW at Andrews AFB, MD in 2006. Upon retirement Mark received letters of appreciation from all 5 living U.S. Presidents whom he had worked for and or directly supported to include: James Earl “Jimmy” Carter, Gerald Rudolph Ford, George Herbert Walker Bush, William Jefferson Clinton and George Walker Bush. Mark’s Commander, General Stayce Harris (Lt Gen as of December 2016 and recently retired USAF Inspector General) also brought all the living Tuskegee Airmen to Mark’s retirement in July 2006. Mark continues to serve as a multi-agency contractor having worked for Lockheed Martin, Northrup Grumman and others at the Pentagon, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the National Reconnaissance Organization (NRO) and currently back at NGA. Like Coach Joe Miller used to drill us in 5th Quarter drills during football practice; you have to dig deep sometimes, know your position (mission) and be persistent. This was so true our Senior year when we played Hoggard who had beaten us 3 years in a row by one point with a last second field goal. In the 1976 game, we held Hoggard to "Minus - 10 yards" rushing and beat them when I snapped the ball to Tony Hardee who held, and Bruce Shepperd kicked a 47-yard field goal to beat Hoggard 3-0. This applied so much to life in the military and elsewhere - you have to dig deep and be persistent; sometimes and it will pay off. Lt Col Farmer was also awarded the Trey Barrett Award as a Junior (1975) at NHHS for Academic and Athletic Achievement. Trey was killed in a football game when someone in the stands blew a whistle; Trey thought the play was over and he was hit and broke his neck. Mark was also a Flight Safety Officer, an Accident Investigator and an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) thanks to his years of studying in Betty Garrett's Pre-Med/Nursing Health Occupations classes at NHHS.
Accolades: Command Pilot, Meritorious Service Medal (MSM), Outstanding Unit Citation Award, Expert Marksman M-16 and M-9, Humanitarian Service Award

Mission

New Hanover High School Alumni Organization mission is to establish and enhance alumni relations within the New Hanover High School community and to promote education and historical preservation.