The Host
Mark "Oz" Geist
Marine Corps veteran. Member of the Annex Security Team that fought the Battle of Benghazi on September 11, 2012 — credited with helping save more than 25 American lives. Co-author of the New York Times bestseller 13 Hours.
A Colorado native, Oz joined the Marine Corps in 1984 and served twelve years — as an Anti- and Counter-Terrorism instructor, then in intelligence as a Farsi-trained interrogator. He came home to law enforcement: Teller County Deputy Sheriff, certified forensic interviewer working crimes against children, and Chief of Police in Fowler, Colorado. He later ran his own private-investigation and bail-bond business before returning to the field as a security contractor in Iraq and, finally, Benghazi.
The Ozcast brings that same lived experience to long-form conversation — with veterans, law enforcement, first responders, and the families who serve alongside them.
12
Years, USMC
25+
Lives saved, Benghazi
13
Hours on the ground
Service
Twelve years in the U.S. Marine Corps — Anti/Counter-Terrorism instructor and Farsi-trained intelligence interrogator.
Law enforcement
Teller County Deputy Sheriff and certified forensic interviewer; later Chief of Police in Fowler, Colorado.
Contract security
Personal Security Details in Iraq for Triple Canopy and USIS; advisor to the detail of former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi.
Benghazi
Fought with the Annex Security Team on September 11–12, 2012, helping save more than 25 Americans.
13 Hours
Co-author of 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi, adapted into the 2016 film.
Shadow Warriors Project
Helps lead the nonprofit supporting injured private security contractors and their families.
