Major General Mike Jones is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and was commissioned as an Armor officer in the United States Army via Army ROTC after graduating in 1977 from Carson-Newman College. During his 34-year Army career, he also earned a Master of Science degree in Systems Management from the University of Southern California and is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command & General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.
General Jones served in a wide variety of positions in Armor and combined arms units in the United States, Germany, South Korea, and Southwest Asia, having served in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Armored Divisions, the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized), and the 1st Cavalry Division. As a the field grade officer, he was commander of the 2nd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment (“Iron Dukes”) of the 3rd Armor Division in Freiberg, Germany; commander of the Heavy Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division of the U.S. 8th Army at Camp Casey in South Korea; and command of the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Armored Division during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM.
As a general officer, in addition to his tours in Iraq, he served as the Deputy Director, Strategic Plans and Policy for the Joint Staff in the Pentagon from 2005-2007, where he was responsible for military planning and strategy for the Middle East. He also served as the Director of Operations for United States Central Command, responsible for U.S. military operations throughout the Middle East and Southwest Asia, from 2008-2010. His last active duty assignment was as the Chief of Staff, United States Central Command from 2010 to 2011. His personal decorations include multiple awards of the Army Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, and numerous other personal, unit and service awards.