Mark Green (Tennessee politician)

Mark Edward Green (born November 8, 1964) is an American politician, physician, and retired U.S. Army major who has served as the U.S. representative for TN's 7th congressional district since 2019.

A member of the Republican Party, Green has chaired the Committee on Homeland Security since 2023.

After the Infantry Officer's Advance Course, then-Captain Green served with the 82nd Airborne Division as an airborne battalion supply officer and rifle company commander.

Following a traumatic event in which a team of surgeons and critical care doctors saved his father's life, Green requested that the Army send him to medical school.

In 1986, Green graduated from the United States Military Academy, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in quantitative business management.

In 1987 he earned a master’s degree in systems management from the University of Southern California.

From 1987 to 1990, Green served as an infantry officer in the United States Army.

He attended the Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University, graduating with a Doctor of Medicine in 1999.

He did his residency in emergency medicine at Fort Hood, Texas.

After retiring from the military in 2006, Green became the CEO of a hospital emergency department staffing company.

Green was honorably discharged from the Army in 2006.

For his service, Green was awarded the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Air Medal with the V Device for valor under heavy enemy fire while rescuing British Special Operations forces wounded near Fallujah, and the Combat Medical Badge, among other awards.

He also earned the Air Assault Badge and the Flight Surgeon Badge during his service.

Green founded and served as chief executive officer of Align MD, a hospital emergency department management staffing company.

Align MD provides staffing to emergency departments and hospital services in 50 hospitals in 10 states.

Green also founded Two Rivers Medical Foundation, which provides health care to underserved populations worldwide via medical mission trips, and operates a free medical clinic in his hometown and in Memphis, Tennessee.

Green served on the boards of several for-profit companies, including American Physician Partners, Align MD, and Rural Physician Partners.

Green is also a board member of the Middle Tennessee Boy Scouts of America.

Green first entered state politics in 2012 by defeating Democratic incumbent Tim Barnes for a seat in the Tennessee Senate.

Green was first elected to the Tennessee Senate in 2012, defeating Democratic incumbent Tim Barnes.

Before his election to Congress, he served in the Tennessee Senate from 2013 to 2018, representing the 22nd district.

After graduating from West Point, Green was an infantry officer.

He then graduated from Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University and became a flight surgeon, serving tours of duty in the War in Afghanistan and Iraq War.

He wrote a book about his experience in Operation Red Dawn, in which Saddam Hussein was captured.

He was rumored to be considering a challenge to Lamar Alexander in the 2014 U.S. Senate election, but declined to do so.

Green is most noteworthy for his legislation ending Tennessee's Hall Income Tax, only the second time in US history a state has repealed an income tax.

He also co-sponsored a bill that eliminated the statute of limitations on rape cases where the DNA profile of the suspect is known.

He has served on the advisory board of the political organization Latinos for Tennessee since 2015.

In 2015, Williamson College awarded Green an honorary Doctorate of Humanities.

After his residency, Green was selected to serve as the flight surgeon for the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.

As a special operations flight surgeon, Green served a tour of duty in the Afghanistan War and two tours of duty in the Iraq War.

He was the special operations flight surgeon during Operation Red Dawn, the military operation that captured Saddam Hussein.

Green interrogated Hussein for six hours.

After his military service, he authored a book, A Night With Saddam, detailing the capture and interrogation of Hussein and his service with the Army's elite aviation unit.

In 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Green to serve as the United States Secretary of the Army, but when comments Green had made about the LGBT community were revealed, he withdrew his nomination.

When U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn announced her candidacy for the United States Senate in 2018, Green announced his candidacy to succeed her, and was elected in November of that year.

His first duty assignment after graduation from the US Army Ranger School was with the 194th Armored Brigade at Fort Knox.

There he served as a rifle platoon leader, scout platoon leader, and battalion adjutant for an infantry battalion.

He was reelected in 2020 and 2022.

In October 2023, he was a candidate for Speaker of the House of Representatives, but withdrew from the race on October 24.