Lt. Col. Michael A. Johnson is a native of Chicago, IL. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve in September 1996 as a chemical operations specialist and was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment (HHD), 472nd Chemical Battalion in Chicago, IL. He was awarded a two-year ROTC scholarship in September 1999 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Military Police Corps on January 13, 2002.
He is currently assigned as the Commander, Montgomery Recruiting Battalion, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL. His previous assignments include Chief of Staff and Senior Military Advisor, Defense Forensics and Biometrics Agency, Arlington, VA; Command and General Staff College Interagency Fellow, Headquarters, U.S. Border Patrol, Washington D.C.; Force Protection Staff Officer, Allied Joint Force Command Naples, Naples, Italy; Executive Officer, 795th Military Police Battalion, Fort Leonard Wood, MO; Commander, Korea Field Office (CID), 19th Military Police Battalion (CID), Yongsan, Korea; Plans Officer, Office of the Provost Marshal, Eighth Army, Yongsan, Korea; Commander, Boston Recruiting Company, New England Recruiting Battalion, Boston, MA; Commander, Alpha Company, 701st Military Police Battalion, Fort Leonard Wood, MO.; Assistant Operations Officer, 101st Sustainment Brigade, Fort Campbell, KY; Plans/Force Protection Officer, 101st Corps Support Group, Fort Campbell, KY; Company Executive Officer, HHD, 716th Military Police Battalion, Fort Campbell, KY; Platoon Leader, 551st Military Police Company, Fort Campbell, KY; and Platoon Leader, 194th Military Police Company, Fort Campbell, KY.
He has a Bachelor of Arts in Radio/TV Broadcast Production from Lewis University, Romeoville, IL, and a Master of Arts in Business and Organizational Security Management from Webster University, St. Louis, MO. His military education includes Military Police Officer Basic Course and Captains Career Course; Command and General Staff College; Joint and Combined Warfighting School; How The Army Runs Course, University Senior Leader’s Course; Common Faculty Development Instructor Course, Joint Support Personnel Course; NATO Comprehensive Operations Planning Course, NATO Military Police Senior Officer Course, NATO Crisis Response System for Experts; NATO Force Protection Course; Recruiting Company Commander Course; Antiterrorism Officer Basic & Advance Course.
His operational deployments include Assistant Operations Officer; 101st Sustainment Brigade, Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom 05-06); Plans/Force Protection Officer, 101st Corps Support Group, Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom I), Platoon Leader, 551st Military Police Company (Operation Enduring Freedom) Djibouti, Africa and (Operation Iraqi Freedom I) Iraq.
His awards and decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Meritorious Service Medal (1 Silver OLC 1 Bronze OLC); Army Commendation Medal (1 OLC); Army Achievement Medal (1 OLC); Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Korea Defense Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon (Numeral 4); Navy Presidential Citation; Valorous Unit Award; Meritorious Unit Commendation; Air Assault Badge, Army Staff Identification Badge, and U.S. Army Sliver Recruiter’s Badge.