Retiring former CWOB's career spans 4 decades

By Nathan Pfau, Army Flier Staff WriterNovember 20, 2015

Retiring former CWOB's career spans 4 decades
Lt. Gen. Kevin W. Mangum, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command deputy commanding general and chief of staff, congratulates CW5 Michael L. Reese, former chief warrant officer of the Aviation Branch, on his retirement during a ceremony at the U.S. A... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT RUCKER, Ala. (November 20, 2015) -- The Fort Rucker family bid farewell to a former chief warrant officer of the Aviation Branch whose Army career spanned four decades.

Soldiers, friends and family members came together at the U.S. Army Aviation Museum Nov. 13 for the retirement of CW5 Michael L. Reese, former chief warrant officer of the Aviation Branch.

"Mike Reese has been, is and probably forever will be the example for what a chief warrant officer should be," said Lt. Gen. Kevin W. Mangum, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command deputy commanding general and chief of staff. "I've always ranked the best warrant officer in my unit among the best officers, so, as I look at Mike Reese, he is among the best officers of any grade, of any branch with whom I've served."

Reese entered the Army in 1988 as he attended Warrant Officer Flight Training, followed by the AH-64A Apache Aircraft Qualification Course. He's served across multiple continents and deployments, including tours in northern Iraq for Operation Provide Comfort; a tour in Camp Eagle, Korea, with the 1-6th Cavalry as the squadron master gunner; and further deployments to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

He's served in a number of positions, from standardization instructor pilot to leadership positions, to his most recent position as the Apache Program Office AH-64E flight training lead at Redstone Arsenal.

Reese said that throughout his military career, the one place he wanted to retire was Fort Rucker because, for him, it's where Aviation leaders are born.

"This is a special place for us," said Reese during the ceremony. "This is a place that is in the business of creating Aviation leaders and I've been trying to do that my whole career, so this is the perfect setting for us to close this chapter."

Reese said he owes much of the success in his career to his upbringing as a self-proclaimed Army brat. His father was a Soldier who served two tours in Vietnam.

"I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for the love and support (of my parents)," he said. "My dad is the best man I know. He's smart, humble and fair -- everything I hoped to be throughout my career."

He also went on to thank a number of Army leaders and Soldiers throughout his career, as well as his family for supporting him through their Army life.

"I don't think that people understand a lot of the sacrifices that your family and your kids go through in order for you to be successful, or for us to just have a career in the Army," he said addressing his family. "The things that they do to provide me with the next opportunity, (they) don't have a whole lot of choices in. Thank you for all of that support."

That support is what allowed Reese to have what Mangum saw as an esteemed career that allowed him to be an example for all leaders to model themselves after.

"He became the role model for every chief warrant officer in a brigade, and if they could just be quite like Mike, they'd be pretty much squared away," said Mangum. "Having watched him from a number of different angles … he really is that officer who has done so much for his Branch and has done it very quietly. The mark that he's placed on Army Aviation is indelible and will go so far, and we'll reap the benefits of his efforts for decades to come."

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U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence