Lt. Col. Mike Norton is a Military Intelligence (MI) officer with over nineteen years of service in the United States Army. He was born in Stuttgart, Germany; the son of a career Army officer. In 2002 he was commissioned a Field Artillery officer after graduating as a Distinguished Military Graduate from Sam Houston State University.
Norton's assignments include:
-3d Battalion 7th Field Artillery Regiment where he served as a Fire Support Officer (2d Battalion 35th Infantry Regiment), Fire Direction Officer, and Battalion Intelligence Officer
-3rd and 7th Special Forces Group where he served calling close air support and managing two 105mm howitzer sections during Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.
-NSA/CSS Texas at Lackland Air Force Base where he served as the Senior Operations Officer and Commander, Bravo Company, 314th Military Intelligence Battalion
-Operation IRAQI FREEDOM where he was the Senior Intelligence Advisor, 7-2 Iraq National Police Division in JSS Doura, Iraq
-United States Army North, Fifth Army, where he served as the Battalion Operations Officer (S3) at Fort Sam Houston, Texas
-Operation ENDURING FREEDOM assigned to the United States Military Training Mission, Saudi Arabia where he served as the Senior Intelligence Advisor to the Royal Saudi Land Forces.
-United States Army Central, Third Army, where he served as the Deputy G2X
-Operation INHERENT RESOLVE where he served as the Combined Joint 2X.
-Central Intelligence Agency where he served as a National HUMINT Manager in the National HUMINT Requirements Tasking Center within Community HUMINT
-United States Army Africa/Southern European Task Force where he served as the Chief, G2X
Norton is a graduate of the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course, the Joint Firepower Control Course, the Military Intelligence Officer Transition/Tactician Course, the Military Intelligence Captain’s Career Course, the Electronic Warfare/Signals Intelligence Officer Course, the Defense Institute of Security Cooperation Studies Course, the Source Operations Course (Distinguished Honor Graduate), the Joint Human Intelligence Managers Course, the Joint Interrogation Management Course, the Joint Source Validation Course, and United States Army Command and General Staff College resident course where he earned a Masters in Military Arts and Sciences publishing his thesis, “Improving Intelligence Integration Amongst the Intelligence Community”. He published an article in the Military Intelligence Professional Bulletin, "Keeping Intelligence Professionals Engaged" that focused on leveraging USFORSCOM HUMINT Soldiers to execute delegated collection authorities.
Norton’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon Numeral 4, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, the Combat Action Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the German Army Proficiency Badge in Gold, and the Basic Recruiter Badge. Norton is also the recipient of the Knowlton Award and the COL K.B. Reid National HUMINT Award.