Melvin Mitchell Serves as the Executive Assistant to the Chairman, Military Executive, Chief of Staff of the Reserve Policy Board, and assists the Designated Federal Officer for the Reserve Forces Policy Board. He advises the staff on administrative policy and procedures and serves as the liaison to the Board regarding all administrative management functions.

Melvin was born in Norfolk, Virginia, into a Military family that saw four of his relatives serve with honor as early as the first World War. As fate might have it, Melvin had a little history in his family line, for as he read and saw through a review of an old scrapbook, his stepdad, who served in the U. S. Navy, had a picture taken, and it was taken at Pearl harbor, Hawaii. He found out that he served on the USS Arizona and departed that same day the picture was taken - on December 6, 1941, the day before the Japanese attack on the Naval Base. In the early sixties, the family moved to Washington D. C for endless opportunities. After graduating from Spingarn Senior High School in DC, he had his eye on accomplishing one of his cherished goals: to study in the field of science and pursue a college degree. But while his plans for higher education were in reach, the American involvement in Vietnam was escalating, and he later found himself as one of the many recipients of the “Selective Service (Draft)” notice. He then decided that the opportunity to serve rather than to pursue a degree would be of benefit to him, so he prepared for military life and departed for Fort Polk, La, for basic and advanced infantry training. Afterwards, reports from Radio and TV announced that a peace treaty in Vietnam was in the works, which brought about a release from active duty to complete the remaining years in a reserve duty status; needless to say, it was indeed another rewarding adventure. It gave him the opportunity to serve his country (six years as an enlisted Non-Commissioned Officer in the reserves) and at the same time pursue a college degree. After graduating from the University of the District of Columbia, he attended the Officer Candidate School and was commissioned in 1979 as an Army Reserve Quartermaster Officer and afterwards attended his Officer Basic Course at Fort Lee, Virginia. Upon graduation, he was assigned as the Operations Officer of the 380th Supply and Service Company, District of Columbia Army National Guard.

From there, he served various assignments as an Active Guard Reserve Officer in the Army National Guard, to include Detachment and Company Commander, Aide de Camp, Staff Assistant S4, Physical Security Officer, Department of Plans, Operations and Military Support Officer, Transportation Defense Movement Coordinator, and served as the Supply Systems Analyst/Logistics Coordinator, United States Property and Fiscal Office, during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm in 1991.

He retired from the DCARNG in 1994 at the rank of Major, having served twenty-three years of service.

Afterwards, he worked as a logistics security program specialist at the Department of State, assigned to the Marine Security Guard (MSG) Program, under the direction of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, where he assisted the MSG Program by providing management, support and coordination of the day-to-day operations of the MSG Program. In addition, he, assisted with the strenuous task of activating twenty MSG Detachments as part of the MSG Expansion Program following the attack on the American Consulate in Benghazi. He departed the State Department in 2016, having provided sixteen years of service to the program. 

Melvin and his wife, Marion, have been married for fifteen years and have two adult children, and one little granddaughter, who along with parents, reside in Houston, Texas.

As of September 2020.