FAYETTEVILLE, Pa. — State Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Franklin/Adams) has been nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as U.S. ambassador to the Slovak Republic.
Mastriano, a retired U.S. Army colonel who has served in the state Senate since 2019, said, “I am deeply honored and humbled by President Trump’s nomination… Upon Senate confirmation, I look forward to representing our nation abroad, strengthening the friendship between our two countries, and advancing the interests of the American people.
“In the meantime, I remain fully committed to serving the people of Pennsylvania’s 33rd Senatorial District and will continue fulfilling my responsibilities while the Senate considers my nomination.”
Mastriano also was the Republican gubernatorial nominee in 2022 but lost to Gov. Josh Shapiro (D). Efforts had been underway to encourage voters to write Mastriano’s name in for the GOP primary, rather than vote for current state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, the lone Republican in the race.
Mastriano at one point reportedly said the only way Garrity could beat Shapiro in November was with him as her lieutenant governor candidate. However, that did not come to pass.
Mastriano is a combat veteran and the son of a career U.S. Navy man. He is an Eagle Scout and worked as a paperboy, janitor, security guard, short-order cook, pizza delivery person and dishwasher. He was commissioned in the U.S. Army in 1986 and served on the Iron Curtain with the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in West Germany. While serving along the East German and Czechoslovakian borders, he witnessed the end of the Cold War.
He later was deployed to Iraq for Operation Desert Storm (1991) to liberate Kuwait. His regiment led the attack against Saddam Hussein’s elite Republican Guard forces. He went on to serve in Washington, D.C., and after 9/11, Mastriano was the lead planner for the operation to invade Iraq via Turkey. He served four years with NATO and deployed three times to Afghanistan.
Mastriano was the director of NATO’s Joint Intelligence Center in Afghanistan, leading 80 people from 18 nations. On his own initiative, Doug led seven relief operations to help Afghan orphans. He completed his career as a professor of the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle and taught strategic studies at the master’s degree level.
Mastriano holds a PhD in history and has four master’s degrees. He has published 30 articles on strategy and historic topics and also has authored three books.
He is married to Rebecca (Stewart), whose ancestors settled this region of Pennsylvania in 1732. Their son Josiah is a graduate of Liberty University.
Mastriano is an active member of his church and resides near Caledonia State Park, Pennsylvania.
