MAR-NC-162 Iredell Composite Squadron Deputy Commander for Seniors

Mike Garrison was commissioned a Lieutenant of Armored Cavalry from the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona and graduated as a Distinguished Military Graduate with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice in December 1981. He served numerous operational aviation and foreign area officer command and staff tours in Europe, Africa, the middle East and in the United States prior to his retirement as a Colonel in 2009.

Mike Garrison joined Civil Air Patrol Iredell Composite Squadron in October 2020 and currently serves as the Deputy Commander for Seniors, Operations Officer, and Disaster Preparedness Officer as well as the North Carolina Group Six Assistant Emergency Services Officer.

Prior to joining the Civil Air Patrol, he volunteered with Team Rubicon a disaster relief organization for two years. Prior to moving to North Carolina, Mike worked for the Office of the Secretary of Defense as a senior executive leading the Africa Center for Strategic Studies and then as the Principle Director for Administration and Management and Workforce Development Directorate at the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

Prior to his military retirement, he served in numerous command and staff positions within the U.S. Army and Department of Defense. He served as the Defense and Army Attaché to the Republic of Kenya; and the Senior Defense Representative and Defense and Army Attaché to the Republic of South Africa, Lesotho and the Kingdom of Eswatini. He has commanded at three aviation echelons with the Multinational Force and Observers Aviation Unit, Sinai, Egypt; 3d Battalion (Attack), 3d Aviation Regiment, Giebelstadt, Germany; and the Command Aviation Detachment, Allied Mobile Force - Land, Manheim, Germany.

His previous staff assignments include: Director for the Southern Africa Region in the Office of the Secretary of Defense; Political Military Affairs Officer, U.S. European Command; Chief Aviation Division then Chief Initial Entry Training Division, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command; Chief Aviation Planning Group, U.S. Army Aviation Warfighting Center of Excellence; S-3 Operations Officer, 1st Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Deputy J1, Combined Battalion Task Force Operation Provide Comfort, Iraq and Turkey; Air Operations Officer, Command Control Communications Counter Measures Joint Test Force, Kirkland Air Force Base, New Mexico; and Executive Officer, 56th Aviation Company, Mannheim, Germany.

Mike earned a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and a Master of Science degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College, the Joint Military Attaché School, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, was an Honor Graduate from the U.S. Army Rotary Wing Aviator Qualification Course, and a Distinguished Graduate from the U.S. Army Armor Officers Basic Course.

His decorations include: the Defense Superior Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster; U.S. Army Legion of Merit; Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters; U.S. Army Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters; the U.S. Air Force Aerial Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster; Joint Service Commendation Medal, U.S. Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster; U.S. Army Achievement Medal, Humanitarian

Service Medal; South West Asia Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Multinational Force and Observers Medal, the Office of the Secretary of Defense badge; the U.S. Army Master Aviator Badge and has over 2800 rotary- and fixed-wing flight hours.

Colonel Garrison is married to the former Lori A. Brown of Clarksville, Tennessee. They have two daughters.