National Police Transition Team honors fallen officer

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Meadows | Maj. Bryan Hunt (right), who is from Oceanside, Calif. and serves as chief of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Brigade, 2nd Division National Police Training Team, and Master Sgt. Timothy Terpak, who hails from Cliffwood Beach, N.J. and serves as non-commissioned officer in charge of the NPTT, honor a fallen team member during a memorial service here, Feb. 2. Capt. Michael A. Norman, 36, who was born in Austin, Texas, and served as a military intelligence officer with 3rd Bn., 8th Bde., 2nd Div. NPTT, died during combat operations in Baghdad Jan. 31.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

02.12.2008

Story by Staff Sgt. Matthew Meadows 

4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Public Affairs

Staff Sgt Matt Meadows
4th Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office, 10th Mountain Division

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq – The 3rd Battalion, 8th Brigade, 2nd Division National Police Transition Team, honored one of their fallen officers during a memorial service here, Feb 2.

Capt. Michael A. Norman, 36, born in Austin, Texas, died during combat operations in Baghdad, Jan. 31. He was a military intelligence officer assigned to the transition team.

Maj. Bryan Hunt, who is from Oceanside, Calif., and serves as chief of the 3rd Bn., 8th Bde., 2nd Div. NPTT, remembered Norman as a true professional and an expert who was always looking for ways to assist others.

"His candor and confidence was everything a team leader could ask for. It was easy to serve with Capt. Norman," said Hunt. "He knew his job and was always thinking of how to develop his counterpart. He developed a system to report and track any type of Intel (intelligence) that overcame a language and cultural barrier."

Norman had many duties that pulled him away from his primary military intelligence function, and his Iraqi counterpart had no military intelligence experience, said Hunt. Still, Norman was such a great mentor that his Iraqi counterpart has provided more intelligence than any other intelligence officer in their brigade, Hunt proclaimed.

Norman had another side to him, however; a persona that was quite opposite of the serious, businesslike professional everyone knew through May 2007, said Hunt. Regardless of which personality he put forth, Norman will forever be remembered, remarked Hunt.

"In May, as Team Shark was formed, we met 'Norm' or 'Normando,' a man whose sense of humor helped bond this team as we all faced the unknown of IAG (Iraqi Assistance Group) and Fort Riley," said Hunt. "His sharp wit, professionalism and friendship will forever be engrained in this team. Norm enjoyed the Army, and he loved his family. They were his pride and joy. We have lost a great American. Norm, you will not be forgotten."

Master Sgt. Timothy Terpak, who hails from Cliffwood Beach, N.J., and serves as the non-commissioned officer in charge of the NPTT, said everyone came to know and love Norman's 'alter ego' Normando.

"His ability to make light of any situation kept the team sane. His jokes and humor were of his most admirable traits," said Terpak. "His 'Normando' persona kept a smile on us all as we trained for our mission in Kansas and every day since he became a part of our family."

Terpak called Norman a dedicated professional who took his job extremely seriously and was one of the only people to volunteer for his assignment, "truly believing that he could make a difference" in Iraq.

"I used to joke that he loved to hear himself talk when we conducted our mission briefs in the morning," said Terpak. "But the fact of the matter is that he was just ensuring that we had all of the information we could possibly have to make sure we were safe when we rolled out the gate."

Even though Norman was a serious-minded professional with a pension for making people laugh, he was first and foremost a family man.

"Capt. Norman's love of the Army and his job were second only to his family. Anyone who found himself in company with him could see that within minutes," said Terpak. "He constantly spoke of his wife, Chun, and his children, Samuel and Summer. It was clear they were his world. Not a day passed that his family was not mentioned in a conversation with him. He even used Photoshop to paste himself into pictures to show his family that he was with them, if only in spirit."

Terpak stated he has not worked with many officers in his career that he formed a personal friendship with, but Norman was at the top of that list. They shared many interests and slightly-odd senses of humor and immediately formed a bond, he said.

"I am certainly a better man for having been given the opportunity to have served with him and to get to know the man behind the professional. He was proactive, mission oriented and when conducting business (a) ... professional," touted Terpak. "He spent many long nights on a computer ... for any information that our team or our counterpart could use to increase our effectiveness."

Young lieutenants or captains looking for an officer to emulate need not look any further than Norman, a consummate professional, claimed Terpak.

"He will be sorely missed by us all and ... there is now a void where he once stood. He will forever remain in my heart and my memories so that his legacy may live on," Terpak vowed. "I express my deepest sympathy to his family and would like them to know that we consider Capt. Norman a part of our family and we grieve with you. Norm, I miss you buddy. God bless."

Capt. Lawrence Grant, an operations and military police advisor from Jackson, Miss., and assigned to the NPTT, was Norman's roommate. He commented that Norman was always making him laugh and playing jokes on him and others, and he was extremely proud of his home state.

"Capt. Norman was a true Texan, if there is such a thing. By that, I mean he loved the Dallas Cowboys, almost fanatically. He checked high school football scores for his hometown over the Internet, and he was convinced that Texas would become its own country if it wanted to," said Grant. "'King of the Hill' was Capt. Norman's favorite TV show. He said he liked it because it reminded him of his grandparents. Honestly, the show reminded me of him."

After finishing his Army career, Norman wanted to buy a home in San Antonio and a Harley Davidson Softail, so he could ride it on weekends, Grant shared with the assembly.

Norman was as hard-working as anybody else on this team and would work for hours to achieve any desired outcome, said Grant. Therefore, Norman was always ready to share knowledge and offer assistance to anyone who would ask, even disappearing for four hours to process intelligence after a full day's mission, recalled Grant.

However, Norman was not all business all the time.

"When it was time to unwind, 'Norm' knew how to do that, too. He spent a lot of time planning little surprises and gifts for his wife Chun, his son Sammy, and his daughter Summer," explained Grant. "It was not hard to see how much he loved and missed them. There were literally 40 to 50 photos in our room over the last few days that we have gone through. I wish that my wife had met him. It was his advice that kept my wife and me sane over the last nine months."

Grant said Norman loved to learn and wanted to pass that passion on to his children. Norman even wanted to attend law school just because he desired to know more about the legal system and the law, not to become a lawyer, Grant commented.

"If he (Norman) were standing here today, he would be telling us that all we can do is to keep trying, not to dwell on this too long and to learn as much as we can from it," said Grant. "He would tell us to fight to keep this from happening again and to keep pushing our partners until they get it.

"He felt he had something to offer the team and ISF (Iraqi security forces) personnel with his hands-on approach. Because of all these things, I looked up to the man," continued Grant. "He always had the best interests of the team at heart. From here, I can only hope that I am the kind of officer, husband and father that 'Norm' was."

Norman's military awards and decorations include the following: Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal with five Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Good Conduct Medal with two knots, National Defense Service Medal with two Bronze Stars, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service Medals, Korea Defense Service Medal, Non-Commissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon with the numeral 2, Expert Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge and Combat Action Badge.

Surviving Norman are his wife, Chun, his son Samuel and his daughter, Summer.

• Date Taken: 02.12.2008
• Date Posted: 02.12.2008 17:32
• Story ID: 16294
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ