Lieutenant Colonel Andy Macak earned his commission in 2005 after graduating from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Russian and East European Studies. After The Basic School and Infantry Officer Course, he reported to 3d Battalion, 3d Marines in January 2007, where he served as a Weapons Platoon Commander, 81mm Mortar Platoon Commander, and deployed twice in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM to Al-Karmah and Al-Fallujah, Iraq.
In January 2010, he reported to the Naval Postgraduate School for Foreign Area Officer studies where he earned a Master of Arts in Security Studies for the Middle East and North Africa. In January 2011, he assumed command of Bravo Company, Marine Corps Detachment Presidio of Monterey. He concurrently completed the 52-week Arabic Basic Course at the Defense Language Institute. In June 2012, he reported to United States Embassy Cairo, Egypt. During the Arab Spring, he traveled to fifteen countries and territories throughout the Middle East and North Africa where he conducted street-level observation and reporting on the region, while also completing advanced studies at the Egyptian Ministry of Defense Language Institute.
In May 2013, he reported to the 5th Marine Regiment where he served as Assistant Operations Officer for both 1st and 2nd Battalions, 5th Marines, and Company Commander for Company C and Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines. He deployed with 1st Battalion, 5th Marines as part of the first battalion-sized task force for Marine Rotational Force-Darwin, and on a second deployment in support of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.
In July 2016, he reported to the Marine Corps Command and Staff College where he graduated with distinction, earned a Master of Military Studies, earned the school’s Franklin Brooke Nihart Writing Award, and the Keller E. Rockey Operational Judgment Award. Upon graduation, he served as a Service Chiefs Fellow for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Following DARPA, he deployed from March to December 2018 to Helmand and Nimroz Provinces, Afghanistan with Task Force Southwest as the Senior Advisor to the Commanding General, 3rd Brigade, 215th Corps of the Afghan National Army in support of Operations RESOLUTE SUPPORT and FREEDOM’S SENTINEL. Upon redeployment, he served as the Central Command Regional Section Head for Marine Corps Security Cooperation Group until June 2019 when he reported to U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command (MARFORCOM) as Aide-de-Camp to the Commander, and to the Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force Atlantic (FMFLANT). In July 2020, he returned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marines as the Executive Officer.
In June 2021, he reported to 5th Marines as the Regiment’s Executive Officer before joining 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines in June 2022 to assume command.
Lieutenant Colonel Macak’s personal decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with gold star, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with two gold stars and Combat Conditions ‘C’ Device, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with gold star. He is married to his wife Soraya, and has two sons, Alex and Owen.