Christopher Markus Anthony Ivester is a native of Gastonia, NC. He enlisted into the Marine Corps on 24 May 2004. Upon completion of recruit training, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina in August 2004, Private First Class Ivester was assigned to Marine Combat Training, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. After completing MCT in September 2004, PFC Ivester was assigned the MOS of 1371 Combat Engineer and reported Engineer School in Courthouse Bay, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
After graduating from his MOS school in November 2004, PFC Ivester reported 3d Marine Division, Combat Assault Battalion, Okinawa, Japan. While there he was assigned to fourth platoon and subsequently attached to 2d Battalion 3rd Marine Regiment, Fox Company January 2005 and was forward deployed to the Korangal, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OF) June 2005. While deployed he engaged in numerous combat missions to include Operation Red Wings and Operation Whalers, earning him a Combat Action Ribbon. Upon returning to Okinawa, Corporal Ivester became a Martial Arts Instructor before receiving orders to 8th Engineer Support Battalion (ESB), Bridge Company in December 2006.
In February 2007, Cp Ivester was forward deployed to support Operation Iraqi Freedom as a Squad Leader conducting the construction of combat outposts and demolition of obsolete bases. Before returning later that year he was meritoriously promoted to Sergeant. While redeployed in Bridge Company 8th ESB, St Ivester attended multiple courses, ranging from Urban Breachers Course to Combat Engineer Journeyman Course, to Bridge Master Course. In April of 2009, St Ivester was hand selected to lead a bridging detachment with 8th ESB Charlie Company to deploy to Afghanistan where he led missions all over the Helmand Province employing medium girder bridges (MG) to requesting units. Upon returning, St Ivester received orders to 7th Engineer Support Battalion, Camp Pendleton, CA. After he arrived, he was assigned as the guide in Bridge Platoon, Charlie Company in preparation for Afghanistan and to aid in the activation of Bridge Company within the battalion. In April 2011, St Ivester deployed to Afghanistan as the Battalion's Bridge Master where once again he led missions all over the Helmand Province this time retrieving the majority of the MBs that were emplaced and replacing them with a non-standard bridge.
After returning from Afghanistan, St Ivester was sent to Special Operations Training Group (SOTG). While at SOTG, Staff Sergeant (SSgt) Ivester held the billets of Engineer Chief and Operations Chief and attended Helicopter Rope Suspension Technique (HRST) Master and Non-lethal instructor Course. In November 2013, SSgt Ivester attended and graduated Marine Security Guard Detachment Commander school as the honor graduate and was assigned to Region 3, Shanghai, China, followed by Region 8, Podgorica, Montenegro.
After the successful tour of MSG Duty, Gunnery Sergeant Ivester was given orders to 2d Combat Engineer Battalion (CEB), Mobility Assault Company (MAC) and received deployment orders to MARFORU) be the SNCOIC of the Joint Operations Center (JOC) in Djibouti. Returning from his deployment, Gunnery Sergeant Ivester took over as the Operations Chief for MAC. In September of 2018, GySgt Sergeant Ivester led the recovery operations for post-hurricane Florence for 2d CEB where his team emplaced an Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge (ALB) for emergency response personnel and cleared 450 tons of debris in and around Camp Lejeune.
In July 2019, GySgt Sergeant Ivester received orders to the Marine Corps Engineer School, Camp Lejeune, NC. While there, he attended the Instructor Development Course and was placed in charge of the Marines Awaiting Training (MAT) platoon. In April 2020, First Sergeant (1stSgt) Ivester received orders to 2d Battalion, 2d Marines (V22) where he supported UDP 21.1 to Okinawa, Japan as Easy Company's, Company 1stSt conducting joint training with the Japan Self-Defense Forces and took over as H&S Company 1stSgt upon returning August 2021.
1stSgt Ivester reported to Marine Corps Embassy Security Group, Region 9 Headquarters in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in June 2022 and assumed the duties of Region First Sergeant where he was the Unit Senior Enlisted Leader for 21 Marine Security Guard detachments in 15 different countries throughout Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
In June 2024, Sergeant Major Ivester received orders to Combat Logistics Battalion-1 to serve as the Battalion Sergeant Major.