Mark Traecey Patrick Kimmitt (born 21 June 1954) is a retired American general and former diplomat. He served as the 16th Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs under George W. Bush from August 2008 to January 2009. Before he joined 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; he also served at NATO's SHAPE headquarters in Belgium.
Kimmitt was born in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, while his father was stationed there. His older brother Robert also served in the U.S. Army and was the former United States Ambassador to Germany. Their father, Joseph Stanley Kimmitt, was the Secretary of the United States Senate and Secretary for the Majority from 1977 to 1981.
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 from Harvard University as part of the class of 1984. He also received Master of Arts 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.
He is married to Catherine Kimmitt.
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. Kimmitt completed Ranger, Airborne, Jumpmaster, Naval Gunfire, Joint Firepower Control, Air Assault, Pathfinder, and Jungle Schools.
1977–78 – Battery executive officer; 1/15th Field Artillery; Camp Stanley, Korea
1978–80 – Fire support officer; 2nd Ranger Battalion; Fort Lewis, Washington
1980–82 – Battery commander and battery executive officer; 9th Infantry Division; Fort Lewis, Washington
1984–87 – Assistant professor, Department of Social Sciences; U.S. Military Academy; West Point, NY
1989–91 – Chief of war plans; 8th Infantry Division; Bad Kreuznach, Germany
1991–92 – 4/29th Field Artillery; Baumholder, Germany
1992–93 – Division artillery executive officer; 1st Armored Division; Baumholder, Germany
1993–96 – Battalion commander; 2/320th Field Artillery; Fort Campbell, KY
1996–97 – Special assistant – J5; Joint Chiefs of Staff; The Pentagon
1997–00 – Division artillery commander; 1st Armored Division; Baumholder, Germany
2000–02 – Military assistant to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe; Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers Europe; Mons, Belgium
2002–04 – Chief of staff and commander; Corps Artillery XVIII Airborne Corps; Fort Bragg, NC