HOUSTON – A genuine hero from the 2012 Benghazi Attack and bestselling co-author of “13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi,” has joined Project DYNAMO’s board of advisors, the non-profit announced Monday.
Mark “Oz” Geist, whose heroic account was later adapted for the silver screen into the major motion picture, 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, has joined Project DYNAMO’s board of advisors and will help with the organization’s counter human-trafficking operations.
Geist gained international attention and notoriety after Sept. 11, 2012, when an Islamic militant group launched a surprise attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, including a CIA Annex, using rocket propelled grenades, anti-aircraft machine guns and truck mounted artillery, among other deadly weapons in an attempt to kill as many Americans as possible.
During the attack and subsequent battle, four American lives were lost, including U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens.
At the time, Geist was a private security contractor and a member of the Annex Security Team when the radical jihadist group attacked the American diplomatic post. He and his fellow team members bravely sprang into action and risked their lives to fight back and help save 25 Americans during the now infamous battle.
Geist was a hero long before his experience in Libya. He began his military and intelligence career with the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served for more than a decade and later joined the Teller County Sheriff’s Department in Colorado. He later became the Chief of Police in Fowler, Colorado.
“We are absolutely honored and thrilled to welcome Mark to our team and board of advisors,” said Mario Duarte, president and CEO of Project DYNAMO. “His unique experiences and skillsets from his military and law enforcement career will undeniably help our efforts to actively counter the gangs and cartels who abduct and exploit women and children for profit.”
Project DYNAMO’s counter human trafficking initiative is called Archangel and works by harnessing and leveraging the collective power of their veteran-led clandestine intelligence and special forces experiences, as well as collaborating with military and law enforcement partners in the United States and allied countries, to identify and rescue victims of human traffickers abroad.
In addition to serving on Project DYNAMO’s board of advisors, Geist will serve as the honorary chair of the Archangel initiative.
“My entire career is about protecting people, whether those that are the victims of crime or the children who have been trafficked,” said Geist. “I’m proud to be part of an organization that is fighting this fight and protecting these children.
As the Bible says,
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.”
–Proverbs 31:8-9
“That inspires me to act and protect children who are victims of this abhorrent practice. Together with Project DYNAMO, I intend to use my decades of experience in intelligence, law enforcement and security to help ensure that Archangel is also a resounding success.”
Founded during the U.S. pullout from Afghanistan in 2021, Project DYNAMO is an international search, rescue, aid and assistance 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Tampa, Florida with worldwide operations. Project DYNAMO operates where the United States government can not or does not. The primary objective of Project DYNAMO is to provide assistance to those impacted in disaster areas and conflict zones throughout the world. Notably, Project DYNAMO conducted the first air-rescue missions from Afghanistan after the Taliban took control, and has negotiated the release and exfiltrated numerous Americans from captivity and false imprisonment.
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