Roger Dean Carstens is an American diplomat and retired United States Army Special Forces Lieutenant Colonel. Carstens has served as the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPEHA) since 2020. Raised in Spokane, Washington, Carstens graduated from United States Military Academy in West Point, New York where he was Class President for the Class of 1986. After graduation, he went on to attend United States Army Ranger School.