Chief of communications holds the keys to the castle
By Jennifer Archibald Staff writer

One of his favorite places Mark McCracken's job has taken him to 67 countries. One of his favorite places is Yemen. He is pictured holding a miniature of a typical house in Yemen. Some of the other souvenirs he showed Carroll students were an African wedding mask, a box of frankincense and myrrh from Jerusalem, and a thumb organ from Mozambique. Comet photo by Jennifer Archibald

Speaking to Carroll eighth grade social studies students last week, Mark McCracken identified himself as the "chief commo guy" at the Crisis Communications Center in Washington, D.C.

He and his department are responsible for communication support for top federal officials and agencies, making sure their line of communication is not broken or breached.

"We provide a secure path for the President, Vice President, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, National Security Agency, Drug Enforcement Agency, Department of Homeland Security, CIA, FBI, etc." McCracken said.

He said the commo slogan is "You can talk about us, but you can't talk without us."

"We have four huge flat screen TVs, and monitor eight communication satellites around the world," he explained.

Snake oil Emma Packard looks at a snake curled up in a bottle of cure-all tonic (actually wine). Speaker Mark McCracken brought the souvenir to CJSHS. Comet photo by Jennifer Archibald

He said an example of a communication crisis would be if an American embassy was blown up. Other communication emergencies could be caused by a riot or a flood, he said.

McCracken works for the federal government, under the Department of State. He has had his current job since 2000, but has been in the field of secure communications support for 20 years. Prior to 2000, he worked in foreign countries, providing communication for American embassies. His title in the field was Chief Communications Officer.

McCracken said his job has taken him to 67 countries, where he has spent anywhere from a week to three years.

He and his family were in Yemen for three years (1993- 1996), followed by three years in Tel Aviv, Israel.

McCracken said while they were in Yemen, civil war broke out and his family and other Americans had to evacuate.

"They brought in four C- 130 airplanes," he said. "Everybody could only take one suitcase each."

His family left, but he had to stay. He said the communications people are the first ones to arrive and the last to leave.

He said for every American embassy, they set up two communication centers - one for everybody at the embassy, and one related to security.

McCracken said he had an offsite satellite communications package that he could use in case of an emergency that severed the lines of communication at the embassy.

"It only weighs 30 pounds and can fit into a backpack," he said.

From the remote location, he reported to a person at the Communications Crisis Center in Washington. Now, he's that person that commo people in the field report to.

McCracken, his wife and two daughters live in Ashburn, Va. He said his family went with him to most of the countries he was sent to.

One of the Carroll students, Jessica Yoder, asked Mc- Cracken which country is his favorite.

"The United States, hands down," McCracken said. When the student clarified that she meant which foreign country, McCracken rattled off several - England, Jordan, Yemen, Colombia, South Africa, and Vietnam.

Another student asked if he had been to China. He said he hasn't. He added that he might possibly be going to Beijing in 2008 to help set up communications at the Olympics.

McCracken was asked if he had any close calls when he was overseas.

He said he's been in places where Americans are not targets, but there is still conflict and danger. He mentioned such dangers as Scud missiles, suicide bombers, and RPGs.

"You wouldn't want to stand around at a bus stop," he said.

He also explained that in some countries the only way to walk safely on the streets is if you blend in.

"I don't blend in," Mc- Cracken said. "I'm as American as you get. I'm a big old white guy - a country boy from Indiana. But sometimes it works the other way. Since I'm big, they say, 'I don't want to mess with him.'"

In a conversation after the student assembly, McCracken related a "small-world" story. He was in Liberia and was talking with an American who said he went to school at Frontier and had a teacher named Jerry McCracken.

"That's my uncle!" Mc- Cracken told the man.

McCracken's parents are Jim and Virginia McCracken of Bringhurst. McCracken went to Carroll Jr.-Sr. High School. Like the students he was speaking to, he was in Glen Dillman's eighth grade social studies class.

He told the students that Carroll County is a great place to grow up and go to school.

McCracken graduated from Carroll in 1978. After working on a hog farm for awhile, he joined the U.S. Navy, serving from 1980 to 1984.

He said he never thought when he was growing up in Bringhurst that he would someday see the world and have the position he has today.