Chief Warrant Officer 5 Michael A. Rich is the Command Chief Warrant Officer for U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne), Fort Bragg, NC. The command of 13,000 Soldiers and Civilians provides worldwide theater oriented strategic support through tactical level civil affairs and military operations as mission enablers for Combatant Commanders, along with their respective Army Service Component Commands.
CW5 Rich is an Airdrop Systems Technician with over 30 years of military service. His most recent deployment was as a Psychological Operations Officer to Afghanistan in 2013 as the 303d Regional Psychological Support Element operations officer in support of 2d Marine Division in Helmand Province, Southwest Regional Command. CW5 Rich's other assignments include USACAPOC(A) G3 Air, Fort Bragg, NC; 421st LAS, Fort Valley, GA as the Senior AD Systems Technician. His other deployments include 3d Army Coalition Forces Land Component Command to Egypt in 2005 and Camp Victory, Iraq in 2003 and 2005 as G3 Air Training Officer. In 2001-2002, CW5 Rich deployed as a member of Task Force Firepower providing Special Operations Forces and humanitarian airdrop support during the initial Afghanistan engagements. CW5 Rich served as the Logistics Liaison Officer at Joint Task Force Bravo in Honduras supporting Operation New Horizons in 1999-2000. He also supported humanitarian airdrops to the Republic of Yugoslavia during Operation Provide Promise in 1993. CW5 Rich deployed to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in support of Desert Shield/Desert Storm in 1991.
CW5 Rich is a graduate Warrant Officer Senior Service Education with follow-on and the Psychological Operations Officer Qualification Course. He became a Warrant Officer via Warrant Officer Candidate Course, Fort Rucker in 1996. His awards and decorations include Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Joint Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Commendation Medal with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Achievement Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, National Defense Service Medal with one Bronze Service Star, Southwest Asia Service Medal with three Bronze Service Stars, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one Bronze Service Star, Iraq Campaign Medal with two Bronze Service Stars, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal with one Bronze Service Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Combat Action Badge, Military Freefall Jumpmaster Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Rigger Badge, and numerous foreign Parachutist's Badges.