Sergeant Major Alexander Karasik was raised in Queens, New York. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on 9 April 2001 and graduated from Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina, on 5 July 2001. Upon completion of recruit training, he attended the School of Infantry at Camp Geiger, North Carolina, where he earned the primary MOS of 0341, Infantry Mortarman.
In September 2001, Sergeant Major Karasik was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, Weapons Company, 81s Platoon. He deployed on a Unit Deployment Program (UDP) to Okinawa, Japan, with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). He was meritoriously promoted to Corporal. Following his second deployment, he was selected to serve as a Marine Security Guard.
In January 2004, Sergeant Major Karasik attended Marine Security Guard School and was subsequently assigned to the American Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal, where he was promoted to Sergeant. He later served six months TAD with Provisional Detachment Baghdad, Iraq, as the React/CBRN Noncommissioned Officer. He then completed an 18-month assignment at the American Consulate in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, serving as the Assistant Detachment Commander.
In June 2007, Sergeant Major Karasik reported to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, Golf Company, where he served as a 60mm Mortar Section Leader and Platoon Sergeant and was promoted to Staff Sergeant. During this tour, he deployed with both the 31st and 11th Marine Expeditionary Units. In July 2010, Sergeant Major Karasik was assigned to Expeditionary Warfare Training Group Pacific, Amphibious Raids Branch, where he served as a safety swimmer, Coxswain Course instructor, and Chief Instructor for the Maritime Navigation Course.
In August 2013, he reported to 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, serving in multiple leadership billets including Platoon Sergeant, Platoon Commander, Assistant Operations Chief, and Battalion Operations Chief. He was promoted to Gunnery Sergeant in July 2015 and deployed to Okinawa, Japan, and with the Black Sea Rotational Force to Mihail Kogălniceanu, Romania.
In November 2016, Sergeant Major Karasik was assigned to II Marine Expeditionary Force, Expeditionary Operations Training Group, where he served as the Amphibious Raids Branch SNCOIC and Ropes and Recovery Branch SNCOIC. During this tour, he instructed multiple advanced insertion and rope mastery courses and was promoted to First Sergeant.
In April 2019, Sergeant Major Karasik was selected to serve as the Region First Sergeant for Region 1 (Eastern Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia) with Marine Corps Embassy Security Group. He was frocked to Sergeant Major in June 2023.
Sergeant Major Karasik most recently served as the Recruiting Station Sergeant Major at Recruiting Station New Jersey. Upon completion of that tour, in February 2026, he assumed duties as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader of Marine Air Control Group 38.
He is fluent in Russian and Portuguese. His personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal with one gold star, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with two gold stars, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with one gold star.