CDR Mark Bote

Executive Officer, USS Halsey (DDG 97)

25 August 2025 CDR Mark Bote is a native of Manila, Philippines. A son of an enlisted Navy sailor, he attended Ernest J. King High School in Sasebo, Japan. He was commissioned in 2009 through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Program at University of Washington, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. In 2023, he completed the Navy’s Pol-Mil Master’s program at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies where he earned a Master’s in International Public Policy focused on Indo-Pacific Security.

His Division Officer sea tours include USS DUBUQUE (LPD 8) and USS FORREST SHERMAN (DDG 98) completing deployments to the FIFTH and SIXTH and SEVENTH FLEET Areas of Operations. As a Department Head, he returned to sea as the Operations Officer onboard USS DECATUR (DDG 73), where he completed a deployment to the FIFTH and SEVENTH FLEET Areas of Operations. He commanded USS WHIRLWIND PC-11 forward deployed in Manama, Bahrain where the crew was awarded the 2020 Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award which recognizes the ship maintaining the highest level of combat readiness.

Assignments ashore include Navy Warfare Development Command, where he worked as a Fleet Experimentation Planner and Navy Lessons Learned Action Officer. He served as Flag Aide to Commander, US Naval Forces Central Command, US FIFTH FLEET, and Combined Maritime Forces. Most recently, he served as Assistant Director and Post Department Head detailer in Surface Warfare Officer Distribution (PERS-41) at Navy Personnel Command.