Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Hawthorne reported to Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina for Marine Corps Recruit Training in 1996.  After earning the title of Marine on 23 August 1996, he reported for follow on training at Marine Combat Training, Camp Geiger, North Carolina and Basic Electrician School aboard Court House Bay, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.  On 3 December 1996, then Private First Class Hawthorne entered the Selected Marine Corps Reserves.  He joined Engineer Support Company, 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, Baltimore, Maryland. 

During this time, he completed Platoon Leadership Course, juniors and seniors, in the summers of 2001 and 2002.  Upon graduating from Towson University, he earned a commission in the Marine Corps and reported to Delta Company, The Basic School in 2003.  He then completed his follow-on Military Occupational Skill (MOS) school, Command Information Systems Officer Course, Quantico Virginia, in 2004 and obtained the MOS of 0602.  He was then assigned to 12th Marine Regiment as the S-6A from June 2004 to June 2005.  In July 2005, he reported as an individual augment to Multi National Corps Iraq and served within the C6 until his departure in January 2006.  Upon his return, then First Lieutenant Hawthorne was transferred to G6, Marine Corps Base Japan, where he served as the plans officer. 
In June 2007, he received a change of assignment to 7th Communication Battalion, III Marine Headquarters Group and served as the Headquarters Company Commander until June 2008.  After service as a Company Commander, then Captain Hawthorne transferred to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF).  He served as the S-6A from June 2008 to May 2010.  After a successful assignment with the 31st MEU, he received orders to Recruiting Station Portland, 12th Marine Corps District.  Captain Hawthorne served as the Recruiting Station Executive Officer from 2010 to 2013 and earned the Alternate MOS of 4802, recruiting officer operational expert. 

In July 2013, he reported to 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), II MEF.  He served as the Information Management Officer until an individual augment assignment took him to Djibouti, Africa from April 2014 to April 2015.  He served as the CJ-63 within Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa.  He led a joint force off approximately 70 service members until he rotated back to 2nd MAW for reassignment as Executive Officer, Marine Wing Communication Squadron 28, Marine Air Control Group 28 from April 2015 to July 2017.  In 2017, Major Hawthorne received orders to fill the position of Training Team Officer, 8th Marine Corps District in Fort Worth, Texas.
Currently, Lieutenant Colonel Hawthorne serves as the Executive Officer for Headquarters Support Battalion, Marine Corps Base Butler, Marine Corps Installations Pacific.  His personal awards include Joint Meritorious Service Medal (second award), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (forth award), and Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal.  He partook in the following operations:  Operation Unified Assistance (2005), Operation Iraqi Freedom (2005 – 2006), and Operation Enduring Freedom (2014-2015).  Major Hawthorne holds a Bachelors’ of Science in English from Towson University and a Master’s of Science in Instructional Design and Technology from Purdue University.