Col. Michael Marshall is the Deputy Commander, 117th Air Refueling Wing, Alabama Air National Guard, Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base, Birmingham, Alabama. He advises the wing commander responsible for more than 1,200 Airmen who execute a broad spectrum of missions including intelligence, global air refueling, airlift, and aeromedical evacuation. In addition, the wing fields a full complement of mission and support functions including civil engineering, security forces, medical, logistics, communications, contracting, and force support.
Col. Marshall enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1986 as an active-duty airman and was stationed at Castle Air Force Base, California, after completing basic military training and technical training. In September 1988, following his separation from the Air Force, he enlisted in the Alabama Air National Guard in Birmingham, as a Film Processer with the 106th Air Reconnaissance Squadron, 117th Air Refueling Wing. In 1994, Col. Marshall retrained into Plans and Programs with the 117th Communications Flight and in 1995 cross-trained into Personnel. He was hired as a recruiter for the 117th ARW in 1998 and remained in that position until receiving his commission as a second lieutenant in 2005 from the Academy of Military Science, McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tenn. In February 2006 Col. Marshall graduated from the Basic Personnel Officer Course, Keesler AFB, Mississippi. Since 2006 he has served in several leadership roles across the 117 ARW to include commander and deputy commander. Col. Marshall has deployed in support of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE as a Community Flight Commander and Maintenance Squadron Commander. Prior to his current position, Col. Marshall was the Commander, 117th Mission Support Group, 117th Air Refueling Wing, Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base, Birmingham, Alabama.
EDUCATION
1995 Air Force Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. 1998 Bachelor of Science, Human Resource Management, Faulkner University, Ala.
2005 Student, Academy of Military Science, McGhee-Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tenn. 2006 Basic Personnel Officer Course, Keesler AFB, Miss.
2013 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2018 Basic Maintenance Officer Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas 2018 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2019 Intermediate Officer Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas 2021 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1986 – September 1988, Still Photographer, Castle Air Force Base, Calif.
2. September 1988 – June 1994, Film Processor, 106th Reconnaissance Squadron, Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base, Birmingham, Ala.
3. January 1994 – October 1994, Plans and Programs Technician, 117th Communication Flight, Sumpter Smith JNGB, Birmingham, Ala.
4. November 1994 – December 1998, Personnel Journeyman, 117th Mission Support Flight, Sumpter Smith JNGB, Birmingham, Ala.
5. December 1998 – September 2005, Recruiter, 117th Mission Support Flight, Sumpter Smith JNGB, Birmingham, Ala.
6. September 2005 – April 2009, Personnel Officer, 117th Mission Support Flight, Sumpter Smith JNGB, Birmingham, Ala.
7. April 2009 – December 2016, Manpower, Personnel and Services, 117th Force Support Squadron, Sumpter Smith JNGB, Birmingham, Ala. (December 2016 – July 2017, Community Flight Commander, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar)
8. September 2016 – September 2017, Commander 117th Force Support Squadron, Sumpter Smith JNGB, Birmingham, Ala.
9. September 2017 – November 2019, Commander 117th Maintenance Squadron, Sumpter Smith JNGB, Birmingham, Ala. (November 2019 – June 2020, Commander, 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron, Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan)
10. June 2020 – November 2023, Deputy Commander, 117th Mission Support Group, Sumpter Smith JNGB, Birmingham, Ala.
11. November 2023 – August 2025, Commander, 117th Mission Support Group, Sumpter Smith JNGB, Birmingham, Ala.
12. August 2025 – Present, Deputy Commander, 117th Air Refueling Wing, Sumpter Smith JNGB, Birmingham, Ala.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal with five oak leaf clusters Air and Space Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Life Member, National Guard Association of United States Life Member, Veterans Foreign Wars Post 668
National Guard Association of Alabama
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Senior Airman July 12, 1989
Staff Sergeant July 19, 1991
Technical Sergeant December 6, 1996
Master Sergeant April 1, 2002
Second Lieutenant September 16, 2005
First Lieutenant September 16, 2007
Captain September 16, 2009
Major September 17, 2013
Lieutenant Colonel July 18, 2018
Colonel November 13, 2023
(Current as of August 2025)