Sgt. Maj. Michael F. Thompson hails from Detroit. In 1983, he enlisted in the Army as an armor crewman, attending One Station Unit Training at Fort Knox, Ky.
His previous duty assignments include operations sergeant major for the 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga., operations sergeant major for the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, Fort Stewart, Ga.; battalion sergeant major for the Warrior Transition Battalion, Fort Knox, first sergeant, HHC 1st Armor Training Brigade, Fort Knox, first sergeant, 2nd Battalion, 46th Infantry Regiment, Fort Knox, first sergeant, HHC, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga., first Sergeant, D Troop, 10th U.S. Cavalry, Fort Benning, Ga;. first sergeant, C Troop, 4th Squadron, 7th Cavalry, Korea; senior enlisted advisor, ATSC, Fort Eustis, Va.; platoon sergeant, Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, Fort Riley, Kan., and drill sergeant, Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 13th Armored Regiment, Fort Knox.
He is currently the Leader’s Training Course and 1st Brigade sergeant major with the United States Army Cadet Command at Fort Knox.
Thompson’s military education includes the Primary Leadership Development Course, Basic Noncommissioned Officers Course, Advanced Noncommissioned Officers Course, Drill Sergeant School, First Sergeant Course and the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (with two oak leaf clusters), the Meritorious Service Medal (1 S OLC) and numerous of other awards. He is a recipient of the Armor Association’s Honorable Order of Saint George and a member of the prestigious SGT Audie Murphy Club.
He holds an MBA with a concentration in human resources from Columbia Southern University.
Thompson is married with a child.