Castlebar native, Commodore Mark Mellett was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff in the Defence Forces by Minister Alan Shatter in November 2013. Commodore Mellett is the first Naval Service Officer to be appointed to this position in the history of the State.

From Rathbawn Road in Castlebar, son of Paddy and Monica, his great grand uncle Joe Chambers was a former mayor of Castlebar town.

Castlebar Civic Reception

In June 2011, Castlebar Town Council awarded Commodore Mellett a civic reception on his promotion to the rank of Flag Officer Commanding the Naval Service. Cllr Ger Deere, Mayor of Castlebar at the time, described Mark's Naval career as 'exceptionally progressive' and commended him for his 'ferocious work rate and constant desire to better himself through education'.

Education & Achievements

Educated at St Gerald's College Castlebar, 1971 - Leaving Certificate 1976, Mark joined the Navy in 1976. He was only 34 when he took his first command of the LE Orla, in 1992, followed by the LE Ciara in 1997 and the flagship LE Eithne in 2005.

Mark Mellett was the top graduate in both the Irish Command and Staff College in 1998 and in the Royal Naval College in Greenwich in 1989. He is a distinguished graduate of the US Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1999 where he was the top graduate of the 32 attending countries. Mark holds a PhD in Oceans Governance from the National University of Ireland, Galway, and has published a number of papers on security and maritime affairs.

Awards

• He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) in 1994 in recognition of the role of his ship, the LE Orla, in the detention of the drug smuggling yacht 'Brime'

• He has citations for service in Afghanistan (2004) and Lebanon (1989)

During his Naval career Mark Mellett has held a broad range of appointments in the Naval Headquarters including Commandant of the Naval College and Associate Head of the National Maritime College of Ireland.

Commodore Mellet has had a long association with the Foxford/Argentinian Admiral Browne Society and was actively involved in the various celebrations surrounding the 150th anniversary of the death of Admiral William Browne.

Mark Mellett is married to Liz and has four in family, Laura, Sean, Lisa and Patrick.