In August 1995, Col Mitchell enlisted in the Marine Corps and upon graduation he attended the School of Infantry and earned the MOS of 0311. He was then assigned to 3d Battalion, 24th Marines in Nashville, TN. In 1998, he attended Officers Candidate School while at Tennessee Tech University and graduated with wildlife and biology degrees. Following graduation, he attended The Basic School and the Infantry Officer Course, Quantico, VA.
In 1999, Col Mitchell reported to 2d Battalion, 7th Marines, 29 Palms, CA following specialty school and held the billets of Weapons Platoon Commander and Company Executive Officer for Golf Company. During his service with Golf Company, he participated in Combined Arms Exercises in 29 Palms, CA and deployments to the Asia-Pacific Theater.
In July 2003, he transferred to Marine Barracks, Washington D.C. where he served as a Platoon Commander and Company Commander for Company A. In April 2007, Col Mitchell attended Expeditionary Warfare School in Quantico, Virginia and was subsequently assigned to 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, Camp Pendleton, CA . As the Company A Commanding Officer, he deployed to the Fallujah Peninsula in Al Anbar Province in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Upon return from Iraq, he prepared for and deployed as the Battalion Landing Team Operations Officer aboard the USS New Orleans with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
In 2009, Col Mitchell reported to The Basic School, Quantico, VA and served as the Combat Instructor Commanding Officer, Basic Officer Course Commander, and the War Fighting Maneuver section head. In 2012, he was selected to attend the school of Advanced War Fighting with subsequent assignment to II Marine Expeditionary Force Command Element in Camp LeJeune, NC. Col Mitchell served as a Corps-Level Planner in Future Operations (G-3).
In 2015, he was assigned to the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit where he served as the Operations Officer and Executive Officer while deployed aboard the USS Kearsarge to the European and Middle Eastern Theaters. Following that deployment, he served as the Commanding Officer, Marine Combat Training Battalion at the School of Infantry – East from 2016 to 2018 and subsequently attended the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle, PA.
From 2019-2021, Col Mitchell served on joint duty at USAFRICOM. He served in the Future Operations Division as a Branch Chief with a North African regional focus and as the Executive Officer to the Deputy Commander. Following a two-year assignment as the AC/S G-3 Operations Officer in Second Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force through 2023, Colonel Mitchell served as as the II Marine Expeditionary Forces Command Inspector General and Task Force 61/2 Director of Operations with 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade.
Col Mitchell assumed command of Weapons and Field Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C. in July of 2024.
Clark holds a Master of Operational Studies degree from Marine Corps University and a Masters of Strategic Art from the U.S. Army War College