MICHAEL E. SILVERMAN

Lieutenant Colonel, US Army (ret) 

Mike Silverman began his military career as an enlisted Marine in 1983.  While serving in the Marine Corps Reserve he studied at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville were he transferred from the Corps to Army ROTC and the simultaneous membership program with the Florida Army National Guard.  In 1988, Lieutenant Colonel Silverman graduated as a Distinguished Military Graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy and received a Regular Army commission as a second lieutenant of armor.  After attending Armor Officers’ Basic Course his first assignment was as a scout platoon leader with the First Squadron, First U.S. Cavalry in Katterbach, Federal Republic of Germany.  As a platoon leader, Mike served two tours guarding the Czechoslovakian border, including one during the unrest that ultimately led to the collapse of the Iron Curtain.   Later he served as a cavalry troop executive officer during both Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.  His unit fought a major meeting engagement against the Iraqi Talwakana Division near Safwan, Iraq.  After returning from Desert Storm, Silverman attended both the Military Police and Infantry Officers’ Advanced Courses then was assigned to the Second Battalion, Thirty-Fourth Armor at Fort Riley, Kansas where he served as the battalion adjutant.  From 1994-1996 he commanded Company A, First Battalion, Thirty-Fourth Armor and set the record for live-fire training success at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California.  From 1996-1999 he was the battalion executive officer, recruiting officer and key trainer and instructor at Tarleton State University, Texan Battalion ROTC, Stephenville, Texas.  While assigned to Tarleton State he earned a Master of Arts in Political Science and History.  After his tour  teaching ROTC he served as a mechanized infantry battalion advisor to the Saudi Arabian National Guard (Royal Guard) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia then attended the Command and General Staff Officers’ Course at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.  Upon graduation, Mike was assigned as the operations officer, First Battalion, Sixty-Sixth Armor at Fort Hood, Texas.  After one year, he became the operations officer for the First Brigade (Raider), Fourth Infantry Division where he planned and executed the initial ground campaign for Operation Iraqi Freedom.  After the initial invasion, Mike put his degrees to work by establishing and advising the first provisional government for Saladin Province, Iraq.  In July of 2003, he was transferred from Tikrit to Baquba, Iraq were he served as the executive officer for Second Brigade (Warhorse), Fourth Infantry Division through the division’s return to Fort Hood.  Mike then spent two years detailed to the Central Intelligence Agency as the chief of special technical operations and senior military operations advisor to the CIA’s Targeting Support Group.  After serving in Langley, Virginia he commanded the Third Battalion, Sixty-Ninth Armor deploying the battalion to Ramadi, Iraq where they were instrumental in the Battle for Ramadi and served as an example of the “Surge” counterinsurgency tactics that ultimately defeated al Qaeda in Iraq.  Silverman’s Awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal (3^rd award), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (3^rd award), Army Commendation Medal for Valor (3^rd award), Army Achievement Medal, Global War on Terror Service Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal (3 stars), Southwest Asia Service Medal (4 stars), Overseas Service Ribbon (numeral 5) and the Draper Armor Leadership Award.  Silverman retired in October 2008 and lives in Midway, Georgia with his wife of 23 years, the former Randi Joseph where he writes about the War on Terror and serves as a consultant to the U.S. Army.