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Housing resource specialist serves in Operation Iraqi Freedom

Bullen mobilized to Iraq in 2007

By Fritz Busch 4 min read

NEW ULM -- New Brown County Human Resources Housing Resource Specialist Mark Bullen served as a U.S. Army Sergeant in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007.

On top of that, he previously worked for the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans, a state-wide, veterans homelessness agency.

Born in Livermore, Ca., Bullen grew up in Ames, Iowa where his father taught at Iowa State University.

Bullen joined the U.S. Army Reserve in August 2003 at age 17.

"I went to the mall to get my watch battery changed when my buddy Kyle stuck his head out of the recruiter's office and said he joined the service," said Bullen.

"No, you're not," I said.

"Yes, I did," he said.

"I said, well, if you're doing it, I can do it too," Bullen said.

"I walked in the office and took the pre-ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) test and got a pretty decent store," Bullen said.

"I remember bringing Sgt. Huck home for a spaghetti dinner. My mom and dad were less than impressed," said Bullen.

"I joined the delayed entry program in August 2003 and graduated high school May 26, 2004 and reported for basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C. May 27, 2004," he added.

Bullen became a supply specialist in a Waterloo, Iowa-based 445th Transportation Company.

"They mobilized to go to Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) in 2005, but they didn't need supply clerks. They needed truck drivers, doing convoy security," Bullen said. "I transferred to the 318th Psychological Operations Company of St. Louis. I mobilized with them in January, 2007 to Baghdad, Iraq after going to junior college. I was in charge of weapons. There was a lot of fighting going on in 2007 and 2008. Anytime you look into the distance, you could see at least three pillars of black smoke in the sky."

"There were lots of IEDs (improvised explosive device) attacks, not a whole lot of gunfights. Mostly secondary explosives and artillery," he added. "It was intense. We took in lots of casualties."

Bullen lived in a trailer in FOB Liberty, near Baghdad International Airport.

"I had a roommate and air conditioning. It was nicer until October 2007 when I was tasked to be a machine gunner with psy-op teams," Bullen said. "I was hot to trot to get out of the wire for a while. I was happy to help out. We didn't lose anybody on that mission to FOB Falcon, off Route Jackson, southern Baghdad and Dora Market, one of the larger markets."

Bullen said he disseminated information and interacted with local Iraqi leaders, asking them if anyone was being threatened or if they saw anything suspicious.

Bullen came home and attended Harry S. Truman City College, graduating with a liberal arts degree before graduating with a bachelor's degree in modern world history at DePaul University in Chicago.

He worked for the Boy Scouts of America after college before he and his wife Olympia, of Chicago, moved to Mankato, then Lake Crystal as a Boy Scouts district executive.

Bullen later worked for the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans in Mankato, a non-profit organization dealing with veteran's homelessness. He worked as the Mankato and Blue Earth County public housing manager for about a year before coming to work for Brown County in New Ulm.

Olympia Bullen has a masters degree in business. She and Mark have a daughter Victoria, 6; and James, 2.

"I like canning jam. We grow red, black and gold raspberries," he added. "We also watch Svengoulie (classic horror movies) with my children. I'm very happy to be in New Ulm and getting good work done."

Bullen said homelessness is more obvious in Mankato.

"Here, people may live in pole shed, old barber shop or living in their car behind someone's garage, or in a park until it gets too cold, or in a camper or someone else's living room," said Bullen. "Often, homeless people have chemical or mental health issues."

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