Michael H Decker

Early life and education

Decker obtained his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Notre Dame and later earned his Master of Arts in government/national security studies from Georgetown University. He also holds a Master of Science degree in sStrategic intelligence from the National Defense Intelligence College.

Military career

Decker was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps and served as an infantry platoon commander during operations to the Mediterranean Sea. In 1982, he was deployed as an assistant battalion operations officer to Beirut, Lebanon, as part of the Multinational Force in Lebanon. After returning to the United States, Decker served as an infantry company commander and later as assistant operations officer for an expeditionary unit in Honduras. Reassigned to Headquarters, United States Marine Corps, Decker served as the Marine Corps Security Force/Marine Security Guard policy and program officer.

Decker next served as an intelligence officer with a Marine Expeditionary Unit in the Western Pacific and later as a Marine Expeditionary Force production/analysis officer in an all-source fusion center, where he co-ordinated all intelligence aspects of marine participation in Central Command theater contingency planning and exercises.

Decker was deployed to Saudi Arabia as a senior intelligence analyst, supervising enemy order of battle analysis and co-ordinating political analysis and theater intelligence liaison for Marine Forces Central Command during the Gulf War. Decker was medically retired in 1991.

Post-government

Decker is the director, Marine Forces Programs, at the RAND Corporation.

Awards and decorations

Decker's awards include:

Decker's military decorations include:

Personal life

Decker is married and has two sons.

Decker is an adjunct associate professor in the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University.

Publications