Colonel Michael E. Grahn is the United States Strategic Command’s Joint Warfare Analysis Center Vice Director. He leads 450 operations research analysts, scientists, engineers and support staff chartered to deliver model-based systems engineering and in-depth targeting solutions to Department of Defense warfighters.
Colonel Grahn earned his commission from the Reserve Officer Training Corps at Ohio University, Detachment 650 with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. He spent the first half of his career in both operational and training flying assignments within Air Combat Command and Air Education and Training Command. After leaving the flight deck, Colonel Grahn continued his support of the warfighter and the whole-of-government through varied assignments within the Intelligence Community, the State Department’s Foreign Military Sales / Enhance End Use Monitoring arena and the Countering Threat Networks / Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction mission sets.
Colonel Grahn is a Master Navigator with over 2,200 flying hours, including worldwide Sensitive Reconnaissance Operations missions and over 460 combat hours participating in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
EDUCATION
2000 Bachelor of Science Degree, Secondary Education, Ohio University, OH
2007 Squadron Officers School, Maxwell AFB, AL
2008 Master of Arts Degree, Curriculum and Instruction, University of Phoenix, AZ
2009 Air Command and Staff College, by Correspondence
2015 Joint and Combined Warfighting School – JPME Phase II, In Residence
2016 Air War College, by Correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1996 - November 2000, Distinguished Graduate, Reserve Officer Training Corps, Ohio University Detachment 650, OH
2. December 2000 – December 2001, Student, Undergraduate Navigator Training, Randolph AFB, TX
3. January 2001 – March 2006, RC-135 Instructor Navigator, Squadron Scheduler
4. November 2003 – January 2006, Base Honor Guard Commander, Offutt AFB, NE
5. April 2006 – April 2009, RC-135 Instructor Navigator, Assistant Director of Operations, Squadron Executive Officer, Chief of Flight Safety, Flight Safety Officer, 82 RS, Kadena AB, JP
6. May 2009 – August 2009, Student, Electronic Warfare School, Randolph AFB, TX
7. September 2009 – June 2011, Instructor Combat Systems Officer, Flight Commander, 451 FTS, Naval Air Station Pensacola, FL
8. July 2011 – October 2012, Instructor Combat Systems Officer, Executive Officer, 479 FTG, Naval Air Station Pensacola, FL
9. November 2012 – October 2013, Evaluator Combat Systems Officer, Director of Staff, 479 FTG, Naval Air Station Pensacola, FL
10. November 2013 – January 2018, Chief, USSTRATCOM Engagement Branch, National Reconnaissance Office, Chantilly, VA
11. February 2018 - January 2019, Chief, Technical Security Team, Pakistan Air Base Mushaf, Sargodha, Pakistan
12. February 2019 – January 2022, Deputy Chief, Threat Solutions Division, Operations and Integration Directorate, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Fort Belvoir, VA
13. February 2022 – May 2022, Deputy Director, Mission Support Department, Operations and Integration Directorate, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Fort Belvoir, VA
14. June 2022 – Present, Vice Director, Joint Warfare Analysis Center, United States Strategic Command, Naval Support Activity Dahlgren, Va.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. November 2013 – January 2018, Chief, USSTRATCOM Engagement Branch, National Reconnaissance Office, Chantilly, VA, as a Major and Lieutenant Colonel
2. February 2019 – January 2022, Deputy Chief, Threat Solutions Division, Operations and Integration Directorate, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Fort Belvoir, VA, as a Lieutenant Colonel
3. February 2022 – May 2022, Deputy Director, Mission Support Department, Operations and Integration Directorate, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Fort Belvoir, VA, as a Colonel
4. June 2022 – Present, Vice Director, Joint Warfare Analysis Center, United States Strategic Command, Naval Support Activity Dahlgren, VA, as a Colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Master Navigator
Flight hours: More than 2,100 (460+ Combat, 440+ Instructor)
Combat Time: Operations IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDURING FREEDOM
Combat Support Time: Sensitive Reconnaissance Operations in PACOM AOR
Aircraft flown: RC-135S COBRA BALL, RC-135U COMBAT SENT, RC-135V/W RIVET JOINT,
T-1A JAYHAWK, WC-135C CONSTANT PHOENIX
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal, with one oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal, with one oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Nov 24, 2000
First Lieutenant Nov 24, 2002
Captain Nov 24, 2004
Major Sep 01, 2010
Lieutenant Colonel Dec 01, 2015
Colonel Dec 01, 2021
(Current as of June 2022)