Francis (Frank) Mayer was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant Regular Army after completing the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program in 1979 and he graduated the Officer Basic Course and Cannon Battery Officer Course as a Field Artillery Officer. He stayed at Fort Sill until 1983. From there he went to Greece to command a special unit and later returned to Fort Sill to teach at the Field Artillery School. Since he was a level I instructor and course director in tactical data systems, to include technical security subjects such as COMSEC and TRANSEC, he attained the Functional Area 53 designator that is associated with the Signal Corps. He was then assigned to Germany and commanded a firing battery and was a Brigade Fire Support Officer in the 8th Infantry Division and 1st Armored Division. He left active duty in 1992 and joined the Pennsylvania National Guard, 28th Infantry Division, as a citizen-soldier in the Division Artillery. It was then that he began his civilian career as an information technology professional in the corporate world with both small and large corporations. In 1996, the National Guard activated a detachment to go to Bosnia he was assigned as the Commander of that unit. The National Guard supported that operation with a Fire Support Detachment and his soldiers did an outstanding job returning home after a successful tour of duty. The then-Governor of Pennsylvania, Mr. Thomas J. Ridge, saw him and his unit off and honored his unit on their return with a unit citation. After his time in the National Guard, he accepted a reserve officer position with Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, while still being a citizen-soldier and having a career in information technology in the corporate world and completing his master's degree at Capitol Technology University. While at Fort Monmouth, he was recalled to active duty again
after 9/11. He served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) for two years on active duty at Fort Monmouth. He then entered service as a government civilian working information assurance that is now termed cybersecurity. He retired from civil service on 30 September 2017, then was an adjunct professor at Harford Community College teaching Cybersecurity. He was honored as a Distinguished Member of the Signal Regiment due to his lifetime of achievement in the profession, this official award is among his many meritorious service and achievement awards, in the military, corporate world and civil service. He was then awarded the CISSP EMERITUS designation as of November 2023 after a lifelong career and dedication to the information security profession.