III MARINE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

Lieutenant Colonel Ben Howe was born in Brooklyn and raised in central and western New York. He commissioned via OCS in 2009 and was designated a Ground Intelligence Officer.

As a lieutenant, he served as the 1st Marine Division (FWD) G-2  Production and Analysis OIC; the 1st Marine Division (garrison and FWD) G-2 Targeting OIC; and as the Intelligence Advisor, and later Executive Officer, for Afghan Police Advisor Team 4, a II MEF unit that operated in Northern Helmand Province. Lieutenant Howe screened and was selected for reconnaissance duty prior to his 2012 OEF deployment.

As a captain, he served as the OIC of Joint Riverine Training Team 1640, deploying in 2013 with a team of Marines from 1st Reconnaissance Battalion and sailors from Coastal Riverine Squadron 4 to Central America. On return, Captain Howe assumed command of 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion. He later deployed aboard the USS ESSEX with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit Force Reconnaissance Detachment as a platoon commander in 2015. Captain Howe was named the Reconnaissance Platoon Commander of the Year in 2016 by the Marine Reconnaissance Foundation. Captain Howe completed his time in grade at U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa, where he served as the G-2 Deputy Collections Officer, and Aide-de-Camp to the commander.

As a major, he served as the G-2 Plans Officer at U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa. He then screened and was selected to serve at the Joint Special Operations Command. Major Howe completed two years of troop command at the JSOC Intelligence Brigade's Joint GEOINT Squadron from 2020-2022, after which time he was selected to serve in the JSOC Commander's Action Group, where he served as the Deputy from 2022-2023. Major Howe left JSOC in 2023 and returned to the 15th MEU to serve as the Intelligence Officer for the unit's 2024 WESTPAC deployment. He deployed aboard the USS BOXER. During this deployment, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and was selected to assume command of 3d Intelligence Battalion. As a lieutenant colonel, he served as the I MEF G-2 Operations Officer prior to executing PCS orders to Okinawa in May of 2025.

Lieutenant Colonel Howe holds a B.A. (magna cum laude) in Classics from Union College and a MSc in Social and Political Research from The University of Edinburgh. He is a graduate of the Expeditionary Warfare School (Blended Seminar Program) and a distinguished graduate of the USMC Command and General Staff College (Distance Education Program). He is also a graduate of the Infantry Officer Course, Basic Reconnaissance Course, the Naval Collection Manager Course, the MAGTF Intelligence Officer Course, and the Swedish Basic Winter Warfare Course.

Lieutenant Colonel Howe is happily married to Talia Howe (nee Dillman) of Stinson Beach, California. They have two daughters.