Michael K. Nagata

Last updated
Michael K. Nagata
LTG Michael Nagata.jpg
Born Alexandria, Virginia
AllegianceUnited States
Service / branch United States Army
Years of service1982–2019
Rank Lieutenant General
Commands Intelligence Support Activity
Special Operations Command Central
Battles / wars Operation Gothic Serpent
Battle of Mogadishu
Iraq War
War in Afghanistan
Awards Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal (3)
Legion of Merit (2)
Bronze Star Medal (2)
Spouse(s)Barbara Nagata
Children5

Michael K. Nagata is a retired United States Army lieutenant general. [1]

Contents

Early career

Nagata was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1982 and served as an infantry platoon leader with the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division in South Korea. He graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in 1984 and commanded an Operational Detachment Alpha of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group, where he gained a "reputation for coolness under pressure, and for a wry sense of humor." [2]

Nagata volunteered and was selected for the Intelligence Support Activity in 1990, nicknamed "The Activity", an ultra-secret unit conducting signal and human intelligence gathering for special mission units of Joint Special Operations Command. Nagata spent 15 years in the unit, serving as troop commander until 1994, and operations officer from 1997 to 1999. He would later serve as squadron commander from 2000 to 2002 and later unit commander as a colonel from 2005 to 2008. [2]

In 1993, while deployed on his first tour with The Activity in Somalia, Nagata was "the CIA chief of station’s right-hand man" according to Jerry Boykin (former commander of Delta Force) in Somalia, "functioning as the liaison between the chief of station in Mogadishu and Task Force Ranger, the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) task force given the mission to hunt down the warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid." [2]

Special Operations Command

Brigadier General Michael Nagata in Pakistan, 2010 Brig. Gen. Michael Nagata welcomes U.S. Marines.jpg
Brigadier General Michael Nagata in Pakistan, 2010

From June 2013 to October 2015 Nagata commanded the Special Operations Command Central. [3] [4] Nagata was in charge of an Obama administration program to "train and equip Syrian rebels," but the program was deemed a "failure," and Nagata stepped down as commander of American Special Operations forces in the Middle East. The program "ultimately produced only a few dozen fighters," rather than the 15,000 originally hoped for. [5]

Nagata's last position on active duty was the Director of Strategy for the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) from 2016 to 2019. [6]

Post-army career

On January 6, 2020, CACI International Inc. announced that it had "named Lt. Gen. Michael Nagata, U.S. Army (Ret.), as Corporate Strategic Advisor and Senior Vice President to enhance the positioning of CACI’s national security-related expertise and technology offerings." [7]

Awards and decorations

Combat Infantry Badge.svg Combat Infantryman Badge
Einzelbild Special Forces (Special Forces Insignia).svg Special Forces Tab
Ranger Tab.svg Ranger tab
Master Parachutist badge (United States).svg Master Parachutist Badge
SpecOpsDivSupBad.jpeg Special Operations Diving Supervisor Badge
US Military Master Free Fall Parachutist Badge.jpg Military Freefall Jumpmaster Badge
Joint Chiefs of Staff seal.svg Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
USSpecOpsCmdSSI.gif United States Special Operations Command Combat Service Identification Badge
Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge.png Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge
No free image.png Korean parachutist badge
SpecialForces Badge.svg 1st Special Forces Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia
ArmyOSB.svg 8 Overseas Service Bars
Defense Distinguished Service ribbon.svg Defense Distinguished Service Medal
US Defense Superior Service Medal ribbon.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Defense Superior Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Legion of Merit ribbon.svg
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze Star ribbon.svg
Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service ribbon.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Defense Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Service ribbon.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Army Commendation Medal ribbon.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Army Achievement Medal ribbon.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Meritorious Unit Award ribbon.svg Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Valorous Unit Award ribbon.svg Valorous Unit Award
Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Meritorious Unit Commendation
Army Superior Unit Award ribbon.svg Superior Unit Award
Army Good Conduct Medal ribbon.svg Army Good Conduct Medal
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg
National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Iraq Campaign Medal ribbon.svg
Iraq Campaign Medal with service star
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary ribbon.svg
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal with service star
Global War on Terrorism Service ribbon.svg Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korea Defense Service ribbon.svg Korea Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal ribbon.svg Armed Forces Service Medal
Humanitarian Service ribbon.svg Humanitarian Service Medal
Army Service Ribbon.svg Army Service Ribbon
Army Overseas Service Ribbon.svg Award numeral 3.svg Army Overseas Service Ribbon with bronze award numeral 3
NATO Medal Yugoslavia ribbon bar.svg NATO Medal for the former Yugoslavia

Personal life

Nagata and his wife Barbara have five children. He was born in Alexandria, Virginia, to Frances and William Nagata, both from Honolulu, Hawaii. His father is a retired military intelligence colonel and was stationed in Virginia at the time of Michael's birth. [8] [9]

References

  1. "NOMINATIONS CONFIRMED (NON-CIVILIAN) — PN1181". United States Senate. July 13, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Meet the Shadow Warrior Leading the Fight Against the Islamic State". Foreign Policy. May 1, 2015.
  3. Special Operations Command Central welcomes new commander
  4. Eric Schmitt In Battle to Defang ISIS, U.S. Targets Its Psychology nytimes.com DEC. 28, 2014
  5. Eric Schmitt New Role for General After Failure of Syria Rebel Plan nytimes.com OCT. 19, 2015
  6. "Are we winning against terrorism? LTG Michael Nagata, USA Ret. discusses at IWP". The Institute of World Politics. 2019-09-20. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
  7. CACI Appoints Lt. Gen. Michael Nagata (Ret.) as Corporate Strategic Advisor bloomberg.com JAN. 6, 2020
  8. Wade Ishimoto: Michael K. Nagata Promoted to Major General – Japanese American Veterans Association October 2012, Volume 62, Issue 9 via Nisei Veterans Committee Newsletter
  9. Nagata tapped to lead U.S. Central Command special opsHonolulu Star-Advertiser, 2013-01-22