Colonel Randy Park is the Director of the Aviation Command and Control Team (AC2T), 4th Marine Aircraft Wing at Great Lakes, IL. He leads a team of professional aviation liaison officers who represent Marine Air Ground Task Force equities to the Joint Force.
Colonel Park is a 1995 graduate of the United States Naval Academy. His first fleet assignments were as a CH-53E Super Stallion pilot with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 and the Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (Rein) / 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit at MCAS New River, NC. In 2000, an injury sidelined his aviation career and he chose to continue to serve the Corps in law enforcement.
From 2000-2004, then-Captain Park was the Operations Officer and Company Commander, Military Police Company, MCB Camp Lejeune, NC. He commanded 450 Military Policemen on 24/7 law enforcement operations and was instrumental in re-designing the post-9/11 Camp Lejeune anti-terrorism plan.
After transitioning to a career in civil law enforcement/aviation, Colonel Park remained in the Marine Reserves. He activated in 2007 as a Forward Air Controller with 2d Battalion 24th Marines out of Chicago for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Post deployment, he joined AC2T as a Major. In 2012, after completion of several large scale exercises on a MARLE team and promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, he became the first Commanding Officer of the 4th Law Enforcement Battalion out of Minneapolis, MN. During this rewarding tour, he commanded 900 Marines at nine reserve locations from California to New York and Alaska.
Post command, then-Lieutenant Colonel Park transferred as the Executive Officer, 3rd Civil Affairs Group at Great Lakes, IL and simultaneously enrolled in the U.S. Army War College Distance Education Program. In 2016, Lieutenant Colonel Park activated to serve as a Strike Director, Coalition Joint Operations Center-Baghdad, in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. Through 970 kinetic engagements, he directly supported the Joint Force Land Component Commander and the Iraqi forces in defeating ISIS in Iraq.
Upon return from Iraq in 2017, Colonel Park graduated the U.S. Army War College with a Masters in Strategic Studies and again joined AC2T. In 2020, Colonel Park activated to serve as the MARCENT Marine Liaison Officer to the 609th Combined Air Operations Center at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Upon completion of this deployment in 2021, he resumed his duties as Deputy Director of AC2T until assuming the Directorship in October of that year.
His personal awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (2nd award), and the Navy Commendation Medal.