Photo By Staff Sgt. Emilie Lenglain | Photo collage of U.S. Army Col. Michael Johnson of the 353rd Civil Affairs Command,...... read more read more
Bethesda, MD – The National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation was bestowed upon U.S. Army Col. Michael Johnson of the 353rd Civil Affairs Command on January 14, 2025, at the Intelligence Community Campus in Bethesda, Maryland.
Johnson, who is the Chief of a Civil Affairs Functional Specialty Team in the 353rd Civil Affairs Command (CACOM), earned the award in recognition of his leadership of the Electric Vehicle Defensive Working Group.
“If it wasn’t for the Army I wouldn’t have my job in the FBI,” said Johnson.
While he was performing interrogations in Afghanistan in 2003 with the National Guard, the FBI recruited him.
Johnson is a senior intelligence analyst, responsible for domain management coordination for the counterintelligence division at the J Edgar Hoover Building FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Prior to joining the FBI, Johnson was a U.S. Army soldier where he enjoyed many opportunities for professional growth. He started on active duty and later transitioned to the Army National Guard and then, later, the Army Reserve. It was his time in Afghanistan running an interrogation facility that led to his career with the FBI.
Johnson excels in identifying deficiencies and fixing them. As he terms it, Johnson fills in gaps. While in the Army, he was exposed to a variety of leadership styles. He used that exposure to hone his own style of leadership, which proved effective in the Army. He then brought it to his career at the FBI.
During a meeting at the FBI, Johnson learned of vulnerabilities to U.S. security related to electric vehicles. Concerned that the issue was not being adequately addressed, he set his mind to finding a solution. He said to himself, “Well, I’m going to do something about this.”
“Threats can normally latch themselves onto vulnerabilities,” said Johnson.
Hacking into the telematics or changing stations is a huge possible vulnerability.
A critical step in developing a response to this threat was assembling a group of subject matter experts. Johnson’s robust network of gifted, highly trained, security-minded professionals developed over thirty years of military service proved helpful. His first call was to a friend with whom he had served years ago.
“I knew him through the National Guard,” said Johnson.
Although that friend had not served with Johnson in many years, Johnson remained in contact with him. They worked collaboratively to establish the group from a variety of networks.
“There are always connections out there and that's what makes or breaks collaborative relationships,” said Johnson.
The group Johnson eventually formed became known as the Electric Vehicle Defensive Working Group. Its mission was to look for threats and vulnerabilities with electric vehicles in the U.S.
Initially, it was not a popular initiative. But as its success grew, so did its popularity. Meetings started with 10 to 30 attendees. By 2024, the group consisted of more than 500 people across multiple intelligence agencies representing expertise in the fields from the intelligence community, the State and Local Anti-Terrorism Training (SLATT) Program, as well as state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies. The group was a first of its kind.
With the Electric Vehicle Defensive Working Group, Johnson recognized a need and took it upon himself to create a solution. It is an ethos he developed through the Army, honed in the Civil Affairs field, and now brings to the FBI.
According to the narrative for the National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation, “The Electronic Vehicle Defensive Working Group led a collaborative cross-government effort to identify, discern, and combat threat actors seeking to exploit electric vehicle technology and electric vehicle infrastructure vulnerabilities.”
The citation’s narrative continues, stating that the group’s “accomplishments reflect great credit upon themselves, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Intelligence Community.”
Part of the National Intelligence Awards Program, the National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation honors distinguished service and exceptional contributions within the intelligence field, specifically for those teams who have collaborated amongst multiple elements of the intelligence community.
Johnson sees many parallels between his success in the FBI and his success in the Army. He considers the past ten years in Army Civil Affairs to be particularly important.
He was the brigade commander for the 361st Civil Affairs Brigade in Germany. He also proactively took the lead in forming a collaborative program within the 38G military occupation while in the 353rd CACOM.
Johnson had implemented teams for 38Gs to strategically communicate across all Civil Affairs (CA) units. 38G or Military Government officers apply their civilian education, technical qualifications and experience, and functional area expertise primarily to support commanders and interagency partners in enhancing, enabling, or expertise to assist CA missions.
CA Soldiers operate in various environments by using specialized tactics, techniques, and procedures. They are capable of operating within the civil component and applying knowledge of civil populations and governance to affect human behavior and counter threats.
By establishing these 38G teams, Johnson enabled soldiers to connect with experts nationwide, offering crucial support when specialized knowledge is essential to the mission's success.
His most rewarding experience while in CA was assisting with hurricane relief in Puerto Rico in 2017 after Hurricane Maria devastated the American territory.
Johnson’s contributions to the FBI and the military are impactful at home and abroad. He has been dually celebrated for both. Receiving the National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation was just the latest achievement in the storied career of the 353rd CACOM's Col. Michael Johnson.
“None of that would have happened without Civil Affairs,” Johnson said.
| Date Taken: | 05.18.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.18.2025 15:02 |
| Story ID: | 498270 |
| Location: | BETHESDA, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 75 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Civil Affairs Officer Pioneers Joint Intelligence Working Group, by SSG Emilie Lenglain, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
