Chief Warrant Officer 5
Michael W. Courson, U.S. Army

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Michael W. Courson

U.S. Army, Retired 

Inducted 2023


Michael W. Courson was born May 24, 1946 in Los Angeles, California. He  began his Army career in 1968 as a Supply Clerk. He earned an AS in Electronic Technology from Monterey Peninsula College in 1978 and a BS in Mathematics from Johnson State College in 2001. After serving as a motor sergeant in Vietnam, he transitioned to the US Army reserves from 1970-1974. Upon his re-enlistment in 1974, he trained as a Radar Repair Specialist. In 1977, Courson was appointed a Warrant Officer and assigned to 7ID. In 1980, he was deployed to Germany where he served with 1/40th FA and 333d FA until 1987 when he returned for a CONUS assignment with the DIVARTY Target Acquisition Battery at Fort Carson. In 1990, he was assigned to CECOM Electronic Warfare Reconnaissance Surveillance and Target Acquisition where he was extended twice for critical classified program support. He was the primary action officer for development and fielding of the extended range Q-37 for Operation Desert Storm, assisted allied nations in developing radar systems, and conducted pre-deployment training and in-country implementation for units deploying to Bosnia. In 1993, he attended the Warrant Officer Senior Course.  In 1997, he was promoted to CW5 and was selected as the OIC of the FA Radar School training Radar Operators, Radar Warrant Officers, and maintaining all FAS radars. He retired in 1999 after 31 years of combined Reserve and Active duty service. After his retirement he continued to support FA units across the globe providing independent radar technical support. Post retirement, Chief Courson also started and operates Westfield Technical Services, a company that serves the Computer Network & Security industry, headquartered in Westfield, Vermont. He has also volunteered many hours of his time to organizations such as the American Legion activities and Scholarship Program, Boy Scouts of America, and has generously supported scholarship programs for several organizations.