Biography

Zachary A. Coates was born in 1988 in Kansas and enlisted in October 2006, attending basic training in Southern California. From February 2007 to November 2008, he attended the Basic Arabic Course at the Defense Language Institute, Monterey, California and the Tactical Signals Intelligence Operators Course at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, earning the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) of 2671 Middle Eastern Cryptologic Linguist.

In November 2008, Lance Corporal Coates reported to Company D, Marine Cryptologic Support Battalion (MCSB), Fort Gordon, Georgia and was assigned as a Language Analyst remotely supporting forward-deployed elements in various counter-terrorism operations until December 2011. From June 2010 to January 2011, Corporal Coates deployed forward on Cryptologic Support Team 17 to Operation Enduring Freedom, acting as a Signals Intelligence Geospatial Analyst directly supporting targeting for the U.S. Army’s 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division.

In February 2012, Sergeant Coates returned to the Defense Language Institute to attend the Advanced Arabic Course. Graduating with honors in February 2013, he remained as a Military Language Instructor and Marine Student Platoon Commander, where he was certified as a Master Instructor in January 2015. From September to December 2015, Staff Sergeant Coates returned to Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas for the Marine Analysis and Reporting Course, graduating with honors and earning the MOS of 2629 Signals Intelligence/Electronic Warfare Analyst/Reporter.

In January 2016, Staff Sergeant Coates proceeded to 1st Radio Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF), where he was assigned as a Watch Chief within 1st Virtual Signals Intelligence Operations Center, supporting I MEF Central Command (CENTCOM) deployments. From October 2017 to April 2018, Staff Sergeant Coates and his section deployed as a detachment to the Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force-CENTCOM, later moving forward in theater to directly support U.S. partner targeting efforts within Operation Inherent Resolve. After returning, Gunnery Sergeant Coates served as the 1st Radio Battalion Substance Abuse Control Officer, Family Readiness Officer, and Command Language Program Manager simultaneously from August 2018 to December 2019. From January to July 2020, Gunnery Sergeant Coates served as the Assistant Battalion Training Chief.

From August 2020 to October 2022, Gunnery Sergeant Coates was assigned to 700 Combat Support Team, Marine Forces Cyberspace Command aboard Fort Meade, Maryland, serving successively as the 700 CST Senior Enlisted Leader and as the Senior Reporter and Intelligence Chief of Task Group Chaotic Crab, 701 Combat Mission Team and 700 CST, Joint Task Force Ares. From November 2022 to December 2023, Gunnery Sergeant Coates led Expeditionary Cyberspace Operations capabilities and training for forward-deploying Cyber Mission Elements (CMEs) prior to deploying himself as CME-Philippines and later CME-Pacific Operator from January to April 2024.

In June 2024, Master Sergeant Coates transferred to the Marine Corps Information Command (MCIC) G3 Operations Cell, serving as the Operations Chief and, after supporting the expansion of the MCIC structure, G33 Current Operations Chief. As of January 2025, Master Sergeant Coates is serving as the Company I, MCSB Senior Enlisted.

Master Sergeant Coates is a 2691 Signals Intelligence/Electromagnetic Warfare Chief and maintains the additional MOSs of 2642 Advanced Cryptologic Language Analyst, 2712 Modern Standard Arabic Linguist, 2714 Levantine Arabic Linguist, 2728 Iraqi Arabic Linguist, and 2768 Spanish Linguist. Master Sergeant Coates was selected as the 2011 Department of Defense Language Professional of the Year and has been awarded an Arabic Associate of Arts Degree from the Defense Language Institute, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (Third Award), the Joint Service Achievement Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (Second Award). He and his wife of sixteen years, herself a former Marine 2671, are the proud parents of one son aged nine and a Border Collie.