Biography

Lieutenant Colonel Prater originates from Virginia City, Nevada, and graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, in May 1998 where he received his commission through the NROTC, Marine Option, program. He attended The Basic School that same year and completed the Basic Communication Officer’s Course in Quantico, Virginia, in August 1999.

LtCol Prater’s assignments include: September 1999, Assistant Communication Officer ,7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Twenty-Nine Palms, California; February 2000, Communication Officer 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Twenty-Nine Palms, California; June 2002, Maritime Battle Center, Navy Warfare Development Command, Newport, Rhode Island where he was an Experiment Lead and the Aide for the Commander of the Navy Warfare Development Command; July of 2004, Expeditionary Warfare School and the C4 Planners Course at Quantico, Virginia; June 2005, Communication Officer, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, while assigned to 10th Marine Regiment, LtCol Prater executed orders as an individual augment to the Combined Forces Command- Afghanistan, Kabul, where he served as an Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection Officer on the G-3 Staff supporting the transition of force protection responsibilities to the incoming International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and he advanced force-wide counter-IED systems for vehicles and bases; December 2009, Communications Officer, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Fort Devens, Massachusetts; May 2014 , Company Commander, Headquarters and Services Company, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Fort Devens, Massachusetts; November 2016, Current Operations Officer and Cyber Planner, Joint Planning Support Element, Joint Enabling Capabilities Command (JECC), USTRANSCOM, in Norfolk, Virginia, while at the JECC LtCol deployed on three mission tailored packages to USNORTHCOM, USFK/CFC-Korea, and USSOUTHCOM.

LtCol Prater’s personal awards include the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.