Chaplain (Army Maj.) Mark Nikont, D.Min., M.B.E., M.Div. graduated from Hemingford High School, Hemingford, NE in 1986. He enlisted in the Army as a Food Service Specialist, and four years later retrained as a Voice Signal Interceptor, Russian Language. After nine years of service, he left the Army and worked multiple jobs before answering a call to pastoral ministry in 1999. During his time as a Licensed Local Pastor in the United Methodist Church, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bellevue University and a Master of Divinity degree from Asbury Theological Seminary. In 2016, he earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Erskine Theological Seminary. In 2020, he earned a Master of Bioethics degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

On 26 November 2012, he married Suzanne Tidball of Middletown, PA. They have seven grown children and 20 grandchildren.

Chaplain Nikont joined the Army as a Chaplain in June of 2008 attending Chaplain Basic Officer Leadership Course (CHBOLC) that summer. He went to his first duty station at Ft. Hood, Texas serving with the 2/82 FA BN where he also went on a combat deployment. After serving at Ft. Hood, he went to Ft. Leavenworth, Kan. where he served with the 705th MP BN (I/R). While at Ft. Leavenworth, he was selected for Clinical Pastoral Education at Brooke Military Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. After completing his training, he served at the Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, HI.

After becoming promotable, he served as the Brigade (BDE) Chaplain for the 18th MP BDE in Vilseck, Germany.

He presently teaches Medical Ethics and Organizational Ethics in the Army-Baylor Graduate Program in Health and Business Administration at the Medical Center of Excellence on Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and is an Assistant Professor at Baylor University and Lecturer at University of Nebraska Medical Center.
In addition to spending time with his wife, he enjoys riding motorcycles, playing with his dogs, and doing home improvement projects.