COL Hartke was commissioned in 1988 from the United States Military Academy into the Corps of Engineers and has served in a variety of operational assignments that include service in the 2nd Armored Division and 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, 20th Engineer Brigade during Operation Desert Storm, US Army Armor School and the 194th Separate Armored Brigade at Fort Knox, 2nd Infantry Division in the Republic of Korea, and twice as a mentor to the National Military Academy of Afghanistan in Kabul, Afghanistan, during Operation Enduring Freedom. He most recently served as the Deputy Commanding Officer of the 36th Engineer Brigade and deployed to Liberia in support of Operation United Assistance to contain the spread of the Ebola virus.

He is a graduate of the Engineer Officer Basic Course, Armor Officer Advanced Course, and US Army Command and General Staff College. In addition to his Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering Management from West Point, COL Hartke has a Master of Science Degree in Physics from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Ph.D. in Optical Sciences from the University of Arizona.

He is involved high energy laser weapons research and development having served as the chairman for the Advanced Concepts Technical Area Working Group for the Joint Directed Energy Transition Office (formerly the High Energy Laser Joint Technology Office). He is also Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Directed Energy Professional Society.

At West Point COL Hartke served as an instructor and course director for the yearling core physics courses from 1997 to 2000. Returning to West Point in 2005 as an Academy Professor, he served as a Principal Investigator and Director of the Photonics Research Center. He has been the program director for the yearling core physics program and the physics major, and Professor and Deputy Head of the Department. He achieved the academic rank of Professor of Photonics and was appointed as a Professor United States Military Academy and Head of the Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering.

COL Hartke’s awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (with 5 oak leaf clusters), Army Commendation Medal (with 3 oak leaf clusters), Army Achievement Medal (with oak leaf cluster), The French National Defense Medal (Bronze), the Combat Action Badge, and Parachutist Badge.