Director's Corner

COLONEL MICHAEL J. LAWSON,
DIRECTOR,
CENTER FOR ARMY LESSONS LEARNED

The son of a retired Coast Guard Boatswain’s Mate First Class, COL Lawson grew up in southern Virginia and southern New Jersey. He was commissioned in 1990 into the Field Artillery through Officer Candidate School. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Field Artillery Schools, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, School of Advanced Military Studies, and the Advanced Strategic Leadership Studies Program (Senior Service College Fellowship).

COL Lawson’s command assignments include Alpha Battery, 8th Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment, Dongduchon, Republic of Korea; 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom in Baghdad, and Fort Riley, Kansas; and 210th Field Artillery Brigade, Dongduchon, Republic of Korea.

He has also served in a variety of leadership and staff positions with tours in Iraq, the Republic of Korea, Kansas, Oklahoma, New York, Georgia, and Washington DC. Notable assignments include Fire Support Officer in 4th Battalion, 5th Field Artillery, during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm; Fire Direction Officer in 8th Battalion, 8th Field Artillery, Dongduchon, Republic of Korea; Joint Staff Intern responsible for the Baltic Desk, J5, Washington, DC; Chief of Plans, 2nd Infantry Division, Uijongbu, Republic of Korea; Operations Officer, 3rd Battalion, 13th Artillery, Fort Sill, Oklahoma and Iraq; Executive Officer, 214th Fires Brigade, Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Deputy Brigade Commander, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Fort Riley, Kansas; Instructor, U.S. Army School of Advanced Military Studies, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; Director CJCS Office for Reintegration, Washington, DC; Assistant Deputy Director for Africa, J5, Joint Staff, Washington, DC and Senate Liaison for Congressional Affairs.

COL Lawson is married and has two children.