Nathaniel Fick
Encyclopedia
Nathaniel C. "Nate" Fick (born 1977) is a veteran United States Marine Corps
officer and CEO of the Center for a New American Security
, a national security
think tank
based in Washington, D.C.
He came to public notice for his writing on military life and the current conflicts in Afghanistan
and Iraq
. Fick is the author of One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer
, a memoir of his military experience published in 2005.
high school in Towson, Maryland
. He graduated with degrees in both classics
and government
from Dartmouth College
in 1999. While at Dartmouth, Fick captained the cycling team to a U.S. National Championship and wrote a senior thesis on Thucydides
' History of the Peloponnesian War
and its implications for American foreign policy. In 1998, after his junior year at Dartmouth, he attended the United States Marine Corps Officer Candidates School
and was commissioned a second lieutenant upon his college graduation the following year.
Fick was trained as an infantry
officer and was eventually assigned as a platoon commander to 1st Battalion 1st Marines
and, as a member of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit
, led his platoon into Afghanistan
to support the War on Terror
only weeks after the September 11 attacks. Upon his return to the United States in 2002, he was recommended for Marine reconnaissance training
. He subsequently led 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company of the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion
during the 2003 invasion of Iraq
.
Fick left the Marine Corps as a captain in 2003, and Brent Morel took his place as platoon commander. Fick received a master's degree from the Kennedy School of Government. In addition, Fick wrote a book, One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer
, detailing his experiences in the Marine Corps. He later enrolled in Harvard Business School
and writes occasional articles about military matters. He was the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the Center for a New American Security
and was appointed CEO in June 2009. Fick spoke briefly at the 2008 Democratic National Convention
on August 28, 2008.
and the book Generation Kill by embedded journalist Evan Wright
. Generation Kill was adapted into a miniseries of the same name
by HBO, in which Fick was portrayed by Stark Sands
.
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
officer and CEO of the Center for a New American Security
Center for a New American Security
The Center for a New American Security is a Washington, D.C.-based think tank established in 2007 by co-founders Michèle Flournoy and Kurt M. Campbell which specializes in U.S. national security issues...
, a national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
based in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
He came to public notice for his writing on military life and the current conflicts in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. Fick is the author of One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer
One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer
One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer is an autobiography by Nathaniel Fick, published by Houghton-Mifflin in 2005...
, a memoir of his military experience published in 2005.
Biography
Fick was born in Baltimore, Maryland and attended Loyola BlakefieldLoyola Blakefield
Loyola Blakefield is a Catholic, college preparatory school established by the Society of Jesus, to educate men for others. The ideal Loyola graduate is a man of integrity who, because he strives "to find God in all things," is open to growth, dedicated to academic excellence, religious, committed...
high school in Towson, Maryland
Towson, Maryland
Towson is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 55,197 at the 2010 census...
. He graduated with degrees in both classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
and government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
from Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in 1999. While at Dartmouth, Fick captained the cycling team to a U.S. National Championship and wrote a senior thesis on Thucydides
Thucydides
Thucydides was a Greek historian and author from Alimos. His History of the Peloponnesian War recounts the 5th century BC war between Sparta and Athens to the year 411 BC...
' History of the Peloponnesian War
History of the Peloponnesian War
The History of the Peloponnesian War is an account of the Peloponnesian War in Ancient Greece, fought between the Peloponnesian League and the Delian League . It was written by Thucydides, an Athenian general who served in the war. It is widely considered a classic and regarded as one of the...
and its implications for American foreign policy. In 1998, after his junior year at Dartmouth, he attended the United States Marine Corps Officer Candidates School
Officer Candidates School (United States Marine Corps)
The United States Marine Corps Officer Candidates School is the entry-level training for Marine officers, equivalent to recruit training for enlisted Marines. Located at Marine Corps Base Quantico, the school trains, screens, and evaluates potential Marine Corps officers...
and was commissioned a second lieutenant upon his college graduation the following year.
Fick was trained as an infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
officer and was eventually assigned as a platoon commander to 1st Battalion 1st Marines
1st Battalion 1st Marines
1st Battalion 1st Marines is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Camp Pendleton, California consisting of anywhere from 800 to 2,000 Marines and Sailors, but the number fluctuates depending on the Battalion's mission...
and, as a member of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit
15th Marine Expeditionary Unit
The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit is one of seven Marine Expeditionary Units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit is a Marine Air Ground Task Force with a strength of about 2,200 personnel...
, led his platoon into Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
to support the War on Terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
only weeks after the September 11 attacks. Upon his return to the United States in 2002, he was recommended for Marine reconnaissance training
United States Marine Corps Reconnaissance Selection and Indoctrination
The two amphibious/ground reconnaissance assets of the United States Marine Corps, Division and Force Reconnaissance, are generally trained in the same aspect and environment of intelligence collection for a Navy/Marine force commander, regardless of their difference in tactical area of...
. He subsequently led 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company of the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion
1st Reconnaissance Battalion
1st Reconnaissance Battalion is a reconnaissance battalion in the United States Marine Corps. It falls under the command of the 1st Marine Division and the I Marine Expeditionary Force ....
during the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
.
Fick left the Marine Corps as a captain in 2003, and Brent Morel took his place as platoon commander. Fick received a master's degree from the Kennedy School of Government. In addition, Fick wrote a book, One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer
One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer
One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer is an autobiography by Nathaniel Fick, published by Houghton-Mifflin in 2005...
, detailing his experiences in the Marine Corps. He later enrolled in Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
and writes occasional articles about military matters. He was the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the Center for a New American Security
Center for a New American Security
The Center for a New American Security is a Washington, D.C.-based think tank established in 2007 by co-founders Michèle Flournoy and Kurt M. Campbell which specializes in U.S. national security issues...
and was appointed CEO in June 2009. Fick spoke briefly at the 2008 Democratic National Convention
2008 Democratic National Convention
The United States 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The convention was held in Denver,...
on August 28, 2008.
Portrayals in media
Fick and his platoon were the subject of a series of articles in Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
and the book Generation Kill by embedded journalist Evan Wright
Evan Wright
Evan Wright is an American writer, journalist, author and television writer and producer. He has reported extensively on subcultures for Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair. His latest work is American Desperado, a book he co-wrote with Jon Roberts, who was featured in the documentary the Cocaine...
. Generation Kill was adapted into a miniseries of the same name
Generation Kill (TV series)
Generation Kill is a 2008 HBO television miniseries based on the book of the same name by Evan Wright about his experience as an embedded reporter with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of the United States Marine Corps during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It was adapted for television by David Simon,...
by HBO, in which Fick was portrayed by Stark Sands
Stark Sands
Stark Bunker Sands is an American actor of film, television and theatre.-Biography:Sands was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, where he began acting on the stage at age 13 at Highland Park High School. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting from the University of Southern California...
.