ALEXANDRIA, VA, August 07, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- James B. Zientek, Col., USMC (Ret.), has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Mr. Zientek currently serves as the senior plans analyst at Obsidian Solutions Group, a certified service-disabled veteran-owned firm in Quantico, Virginia, a position he has held since 2024. In this capacity, he leads command and control and maneuver initiatives, supporting U.S. Marine Corps warfighting commands as they tailor their roles within national plans for regions such as China, Korea and the Middle East. Mr. Zientek's responsibilities include traveling to California with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force to assist in preparations for major exercises and overseeing high-level planning to ensure units are equipped to address emerging threats.

Before joining Obsidian Solutions Group, Mr. Zientek spent several years at Johnson & Johnson as a senior virology sales specialist in Northern Virginia from 2020 to 2024. He managed territories across Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, specializing in infectious diseases and vaccines.

Mr. Zientek's professional journey is deeply rooted in his distinguished 30-year career with the U.S. Marine Corps. He retired as the presiding officer and adjudicator of the Naval Discharge Review Board at the Washington Navy Yard in 2019, where he reviewed thousands of cases for individuals seeking to appeal the characterization of their military discharge. In this role, he worked closely with petitioners and their legal representatives to help secure improved outcomes.

From 2014 to 2016, Mr. Zientek served as deputy dean at the Center for Naval Warfare Studies at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. In 2014, he was the Marine Corps O6 representative on the Strategic Landpower Task Force in Crystal City, Virginia. Between 2012 and 2014, Mr. Zientek directed the fires and maneuver integration division at Headquarters Marine Corps in Quantico.

Mr. Zientek's expertise was recognized earlier when he was appointed senior military assistant to the assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs at the Pentagon from 2011 to 2012. In this capacity, he traveled extensively with the secretary of defense on official trips throughout Asia, ensuring preparedness for high-level meetings and negotiations with regional leaders. Before this role, Mr. Zientek served as the country director for Korea within the Office of the Secretary of Defense (Policy) between 2010 and 2011.

Among Mr. Zientek's earlier assignments were operations officer for the Second Marine Division in North Carolina in 2009 and commanding officer of the Third Battalion, Sixth Marines, from 2007 to 2009. As a commanding officer, he notably led a battalion task force of 1,200 U.S. Marines during combat operations in Fallujah, Iraq. Mr. Zientek played a pivotal role not only in quelling insurgency but also in assisting local Iraqi communities with reconstruction efforts. He also provided guidance to municipal leaders on governance and helped restore essential services such as infrastructure, electricity, water and sanitation.

Between 2006 and 2007, Mr. Zientek served as a team leader and senior advisor on a military transition team embedded with an Iraqi unit in Al Anbar province. Prior assignments included operations officer and executive officer for the First Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion in California and Iraq from 2004 to 2005 and Asia-Pacific desk officer for plans, policies and operations at Headquarters Marine Corps at the Pentagon, beginning in 2001.

Mr. Zientek's academic background includes a Bachelor of Arts in psychology, magna cum laude, from the University at Buffalo in 1990, a Master of Arts in national security affairs from Naval Postgraduate School in 2000 and a Master of Arts in security studies from Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in 2010. He has also held a shodan first-degree black belt certification from the Seibukan Jujitsu Dojo since 2000 and graduated from conversational Japanese coursework at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in Monterey, California, in 2001.

In addition to his professional pursuits, Mr. Zientek is active within various organizations, including the American Legion. He has also been actively volunteering as a cook for Cook For Vets Inc. since 2023.

Throughout his career, Mr. Zientek has been recognized with numerous awards for his time in the military, including three Bronze Star Medals with Combat Distinguishing Device (V), two Legion of Merit Medals, a Defense Superior Service Medal, a Meritorious Service Medal, two Commendation Medals from both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps, an Achievement Medal from both branches and a Combat Action Ribbon. From Johnson & Johnson, he was recognized with the Hillary Vice Award for Superior Achievement in Sales in 2023.

Eager for future opportunities, Mr. Zientek is dedicated to preparing U.S. Marines for future challenges. He credits his faith, along with values instilled by his parents, as foundational influences throughout his life and career, and he continually strives for self-improvement through learning and personal growth.

About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. The suite of Marquis® publications, including Who's Who in America® and Who's Who in the World®, remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the globe. Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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