Mark Naird

Living... in Wild Horse, Colorado, a small town in the middle of the desert. He moved there from Washington, D.C. with his wife, Maggie Naird, and teenage daughter, Erin. But after his wife committed a serious crime, she was sentenced to a 40-year prison sentence. Mark is finding it hard to be a single father—especially since Erin constantly reminds him of how miserable she is in their small town.

Profession... newly appointed four-star General and leader of the newly created branch of the military: Space Force. Naird had hoped to become the leader of the Air Force, but he is embracing his unexpected position. He has been tasked to carry out the orders of the President of the U.S. (“POTUS”) to get “boots on the moon” by 2024, and Naird is determined to make that happen. Excited, Naird says, “50 years ago our country put a man on the moon. Guess what kids, we are going back!”

Interests... singing. When no one is listening, he belts out “Kokomo” by The Beach Boys and “Bread and Butter” by The Newbeats.

Relationship status... complicated. Needless to say, it’s hard to make a marriage work when your wife is behind bars and only one conjugal visit is allowed per year.

Challenge... dealing with the wimpy scientists who work for him. Naird is leading the launch of the Epsilon 6, which is a $6 billion satellite that will “tangle” with enemy satellites. But none of the risk-averse scientists on his team want to go through with the launch because of poor humidity conditions. Naird is dismissive of them, saying “there’s no way we are getting back to the moon with that kind of thinking.” Naird has his finger on the red button for launch…

Personality... brusque, tightly wound, and ambitious. Naird takes pride in everything he does, whether that is keeping his workspace clean, or serving as a four-star general. Although his words are crude and his actions can be impulsive, he exudes optimism and patriotism.