From 2006-08, Jensen served in Iraq’s Anbar province, first as a contract linguist for the U.S. Army, then as a civilian Foreign Area Officer for the U.S. Marines. He has published articles on, and is cited in the major literature about, the Anbar Awakening. Jensen holds a Ph.D. in Middle East and Mediterranean Studies from King’s College London, having written his dissertation on Iraqi narratives of the Anbar Awakening.