Colonel Karl Sondermann is the US Army 2023-2024 Fellow at MIT’s Security Studies. Prior to his arrival at MIT, he was assigned the J4- Director of Logistics, Special Operations Command Central at MacDill AFB, FL. Previous non-command assignments include deployments to Iraq for 15 months in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, a deployment to Afghanistan for 9 months in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, a deployment to Kuwait for 9 months in support of Operation Spartan Shield, two EUCOM assignments to Germany for 5 years, and a three-year assignment as the Operations Officer/Military Historian at Arlington National Cemetery.

His command assignments include: 20 months as Commander, 196 Quartermaster Company, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, KY; and 26 months as Commander, 21st Theater Sustainment Command’s Special Troop Battalion, Kaiserslautern, Germany. In 2003, he received a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Armor Corps (branched detailed from the Quartermaster Corps) upon graduation from Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. In 2013, he went on to earn a Master’s of Science degree in Historic Preservation from Clemson University/ College of Charleston joint program in Charleston, SC.  

COL Sondermann has been married for 19 years to the former Ms. Susan Pagano of Stafford, Virginia. They have two children, a 15 year old girl, Hailey, and a 11 year old boy, Ethan.