Mark Vargas is widely respected as a political opinion writer and media strategist.

From 2007 to 2010, Mr. Vargas served as a civilian within the Office of the Secretary of Defense on a special Iraq task force. His civilian service at the Defense Department included 14 trips to Baghdad. In 2010, he was awarded the Global War on Terrorism Civilian Service Medal.

A dedicated writer, Mr. Vargas is editor-in-chief of Illinois Review -- the largest conservative news publication in Illinois and a columnist at Newsmax. He also appears regularly on Newsmax TV offering insights and analysis on the top news stories of the day. Follow Mark on X: @MarkAVargas.