PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - U.S. 1st Lt. Duston Mullen of Sturgis was promoted to the rank of captain, Dec. 2, aboard the USS Missouri stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Mullen works as the Senior Platoon Trainer for the Officer Candidate School at the Regional Training Institute at Fort Meade. Each year officer candidates from the South Dakota Army National Guard have a consolidated drill with other states, where they visit Pearl Harbor as part of their military training.
Mullen was given the unique opportunity of being promoted on the Missouri while more than 80 officer candidates from the Western United States looked on.
Mullen started his military career in 1992 with the Marines, where he was on active duty until 1996 and in the Marine Reserves until 2000. He took a two-year break in service before joining the South Dakota Army National Guard where he graduated from OCS in 2006. He has been working at Fort Meade training officer candidates for the last two years.
Mullen lives in Summerset with his wife, Cindy, and four kids, Chris, 10, Jordan, 13, Nicole, 16, and Cassie, 20.