Mark D. Clookie became the fourth civilian director of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) on February 14, 2010, following his appointment to the position by Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy.

After his tour in Bahrain, he was promoted to GS-14 and transferred to the NCIS Northeast Field Office, where he served as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge from December 1995 until June 1998.

He then returned to the United States to assume duties as the Head of Agent Control and Personnel Operations, NCIS Headquarters, Washington, DC.

Following the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, he assumed duties as the Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the NCIS Middle East Field Office, headquartered in Manama, Bahrain.

[2] In 2013, after retiring as director, NCIS, Clookie became the vice president of investigations and law enforcement development for the human rights organization International Justice Mission.