Mark Brandenburg: Elite Guest Trainer

From written exams to physical exams to polygraph exams, each applicant is closely scrutinized to ensure they have the mental and physical grit to withstand the demands of the job. There are no short cuts to getting hired which typically takes more than a year. U.S. Secret Service Agents are the ONLY humans on earth trusted enough to carry a gun next to the President of the United States. Statistically it’s harder to get into the U.S. Secret Service – who accept only 1% of applicants – than it is to get into Harvard University, which takes 4% of applicants. 

This month’s Elite Guest Trainer is the epitome of that uniqueness. U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Mark Brandenburg has served in several high-level, high-threat assignments during the past 22 years of his federal career. Having to overcome an early life tragedy, Mark knows what it takes to work through personal and professional hardships only to come out the other side more capable and determined to succeed. 

As an agent assigned to President Obama’s protection detail, Mark was tasked with ensuring the President’s safety during his highly secretive unannounced trip to Afghanistan. Mark was also the supervisor responsible for protecting Vice President Mike Pence during the Trump Administration. Mark currently serves as the Assistant to the Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Dignitary Protection Division; the detail responsible for protecting foreign heads of State on U.S. soil as well as U.S. Congressional cabinet members.  

In 2023, Mark published his first novel, Fence Jumper. After decades of protecting the world’s most powerful leaders and witnessing firsthand the ugly side of politics, Mark wrote a humorous political thriller that highlights the good and bad of Washington, D.C.

Mark was raised in Mansfield, TX. After graduating from Benedictine College, he worked as a police officer and tactical team member in Olathe, Kansas before joining the U.S. Secret Service in 2002.  Mark is married to Melissa and has a son, Will, who attends Virginia Tech on an Army ROTC scholarship.

If you’ve ever wanted to hear about the mental fortitude it takes to thrive in the fast-paced world of protection and political chaos, then you won’t want to miss this month’s Elite Guest Trainer.

“You don’t have to be perfect to be good.”

— Mark Brandenburg

Read Mark’s Book: Fence Jumper