KEI Contributor

Lieutenant Colonel Michael Luke Deckard is the Japan Country Director for the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs (SAF/IA), the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. He advises senior Air Force leadership on U.S.-Japan alliance objectives and manages security cooperation, political-military affairs, and international programs related to Japan. He is responsible for coordinating senior-leader engagements between the Department of the Air Force and the Government of Japan.

Lt Col Deckard’s previous experience as a Mansfield Fellow allowed him an intimate working relationship with the Government of Japan. From June 2017 to July 2018 he was placed in various offices, to include the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and offices of the House of Councilors and House of Representatives. He also had placements with All Nippon Airways and ShinMaywa Industries. Lt Col Deckard built a network of contacts and gained unprecedented experiences and knowledge of the Government of Japan.

Lt Col Deckard comes from an Air Force family and claims Colorado as his home. He studied Science, Technology, and Globalization at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona. Additionally, he received a Master of Science in International Relations from Troy University, Alabama. Throughout his Air Force career, he served as an MC-130P instructor navigator, an MC-130J evaluator Combat Systems Officer, and a Flight Safety Officer. He also served as the Investigating Officer for a Class A aircraft mishap.

Lt Col Deckard deployed and flew combat missions for Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and Operation Enduring Freedom in the Philippines. Additionally, Lt Col Deckard was an initial responder during Operation Tomodachi in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, providing pivotal special operations expertise to re-open Sendai Airport, the hub for humanitarian supply and disaster relief.