Colonel Jon Darren Duke graduated from the United States Naval Academy and was commissioned in the United States Marine Corps in May of 1991. He attended the Basic School and graduated in February 1992.
Second Lieutenant Duke graduated from the MAGTF Intelligence Officer Course in 1992 and was assigned to the 3d Marine Division in Okinawa, Japan. He served as the intelligence officer for 2nd Battalion, 12th Marines, assistant intelligence officer for 4th Marines and as a platoon commander, executive officer and diving officer for 3d Reconnaissance Company. During this tour he deployed to Thailand, Korea, and northern Japan for training and exercises.
In 1996, Captain Duke was assigned to the Marine Corps Intelligence Activity as a liaison officer to the US Army National Ground Intelligence Center in Charlottesville, Virginia. He served in the Forces Directorate as a Middle East ground combat analyst.
In 1998, Captain Duke attended the Naval Postgraduate School and the Defense Language Institute. In 2001, he was assigned to the US Consulate in Jerusalem. Upon his return to the United States in 2002, Major Duke was designated as a Middle East foreign area officer.
From 2002 to 2005, Major Duke was assigned to the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Anti-Terrorism) at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina as the assistant chief of staff for intelligence. During his tenure he deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as the intelligence operations officer for the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa and in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as the intelligence fusion officer for First Marine Expeditionary Force in al-Anbar Province.
In June 2005, Major Duke was assigned to Plans Policy & Operations (PP&O), Headquarters Marine Corps and worked in International Plans and Programs (PLU) as the CENTCOM desk officer. In June 2006, he was assigned to the Defense Attaché Office in Tel Aviv, Israel.
In April 2009, Lieutenant Colonel Duke was assigned to Marine Corps Forces, US Special Operations Command (MARSOC) as the operations officer for the Marine Special Operations Regiment, now the Marine Raider Regiment. In November 2010, he assumed command of 3rd Marine Special Operations Battalion.
In June 2012, Lieutenant Colonel Duke reported to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence as a National Intelligence Fellow. In June 2013, Colonel Duke returned to MARSOC as the assistant chief of staff for intelligence.
In June 2014, Colonel Duke deployed to central Africa as the commander of Special Operations Command Forward - Central Africa in support of Operation Observant Compass.