Colonel Thomas Tate 
Commandant of Cadets, Marion Military Institute
Colonel Tate has more than 26 years of active military service as a U.S. Army Infantry/Special Forces Officer with Colonel (06) command experience. He also counts more than four years of experience in higher education as a Professor of Military Science. He holds a B.S. in Education from Auburn University and a Master’s degree in International Relations from Troy University.
Before joining the MMI Staff, Colonel Tate was Chief of Psychological Operations for U.S. Army Central Command in Atlanta. In that position, he supported the execution of strategic communications in the Arabian Peninsula and Horn of Africa. Stationed in Djibouti, Africa as Commander of a Joint Operations Task Force from 2005 to 2006, he conducted counterinsurgency operations throughout the Horn of Africa in support of the War on Terror. While there, he developed plans and programs to strengthen the international security of various East African nations and was recognized by the U.S. Ambassadors to Yemen and Ethiopia for outstanding performance. He was also awarded a bronze star for his work in the region.
Colonel Tate began his tenure as the Commandant of Marion Military Institute in July 2008. Colonel Tate and his wife Ginger have been married more than 29 years and have two adult children, Matthew and Stephanie.
