Timothy Ryan Sparks

Timothy Ryan Sparks (born 1974) is a captain in the United States Marines Corps that served in Operation Moshtarak for which he received the 2011 Leftwich Trophy and a Silver Star. He is also shown in the documentary The Battle for Marjah as the commanding officer of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines during said operation.

Biography
Sparks was born in 1974 and raised in Overland Park, Kansas and San Diego, California. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1998 and served with both the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines and the 1st Force Reconnaissance Company from 1998 to 2002. He deployed with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit in 2001 to participate in counter-terrorist operations in Pakistan and Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sparks was commissioned in March 2003; completing The Basic School and the Infantry Officers Course the same year. After said training, he was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. Upon arrival, he served as the Combined Anti-Armor Team (CAAT) Platoon Commander. He deployed to the Al Anbar Province, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II in June 2004, where CAAT supported 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines security and stability operations and Operation Al Fajr in Fallujah.

Sparks then returned to Camp Pendleton in January 2005. After being promoted to First Lieutenant, he was reassigned as the Executive Officer for Company L, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines. He again deployed to the Al Anbar Province from September 2005 to March 2006.

Upon return from Iraq, Sparks received orders to Expeditionary Warfare Training Group, Pacific, to serve as the Assistant OIC of the Basic Reconnaissance Course. In 2007, the Marine Corps consolidated both Basic Reconnaissance Courses under one command at School of Infantry-West. There he served as the executive officer of the Reconnaissance Training Company under the newly formed Advanced Infantry Training Battalion.

In 2009 Sparks was reassigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, where he served as the Commanding Officer of Bravo Company during Operation Mostarak in Marjah, Afghanistan. Upon return from Afghanistan, he assumed the billet of Battalion Operations Officer for 1st Battalion, 6th Marines. Today, he is the Battalion Operations Officer for the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion.

Sparks holds a bachelor in arts degree in political science from the University of Kansas and a master of science in global leadership from the University of San Diego. His personal decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device, the Purple Heart with one gold star, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with one gold star, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and the Combat Action Ribbon with one gold star. He is married and has two children.