Colonel Dave Hart is a native of Unity, New Hampshire, served as an enlisted Marine from 1985 – 1997, attained the rank of Staff Sergeant, and was commissioned via the Meritorious Commissioning Program in December 1997. On 23 January 2026, he assumed the duties as the Assistant Division Commander of 1st Marine Division.
Command assignments include Platoon Commander in 3d Battalion, 8th Marines; Company Commander in 3d Battalion, 6th Marines; Battalion Commander of 1st Battalion, 7th Marines; and Regimental Commander of 7th Marines.
Staff assignments include Company Executive Officer with 3d Battalion, 8th Marines; Tactics Instructor, Warfighting Section, The Basic School and the Infantry Officer Course; Operations Officer, 3d Battalion, 6th Marines; Marine Officer Instructor, Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps unit, University of Notre Dame; Executive Officer, 3d Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion; Assistant Operations Officer and Operations Officer, 7th Marines; Operations Officer, Joint Staff (J3, J35, Joint Operations Division Central Command (JOD-CENT), Syria and Iraq portfolio); Infantry Section Head, Ground Combat Element (GCE) Branch and GCE Branch Head, Operations Division, Plans, Policies & Operations (PP&O), Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC); Director (Coyote 6) of the Tactical Training and Exercise Control Group (TTECG); Chief of Staff, 1st Marine Division.
He has deployed in support of Operations DESERT SHIELD/STORM (Saudi Arabia/Kuwait); Operations SHINING HOPE (Albania), NOBLE ANVIL (Serbia), JOINT GUARDIAN (Kosovo) and AVID RESPONSE (Turkey); Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (Iraq); Operation ENDURING FREEDOM (Afghanistan) and Operation INHERENT RESOLVE (Iraq).
He is a graduate of The Basic School (1998), Infantry Officer Course (1998), Marine Corps Expeditionary Warfare School (2006), Marine Corps Command and Staff College Distance Education Program (2010), and the Marine Corps War College (2017). He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Park University (2002), a Master of Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma (2008) and a Master of Strategic Studies from the Marine Corps War College (2017).
His personal decorations include the Legion of Merit (with two gold stars), Navy and Marine Corps Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Joint Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (with one gold star), Air Medal with “2” strike flights, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (with combat “V” and two gold stars), Joint Service Achievement Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (with three gold stars) and Combat Action Ribbon (with one gold star). He is the recipient of the Infantry Officer Course Wheeler Award.
He is married to the former Kandi Arnett of North Judson, Indiana and they have two children, Mattisen (21) and Brayden (18).