Biography – Mick Gleason

CAPT Michael (Mick) Gleason (USN, ret) is a native of Haverhill, Massachusetts. After marrying his wife, Robynn, also of Haverhill, in 1979, Mick and Robynn joined the US Navy in 1981. As a Captain in the US Navy, his final assignment was as the Commanding Officer of Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in 2008. Mick and Robynn have three sons, Wes, Paddy, and Jeff. After retiring from active duty after 27 years, Mick accepted a job as a senior program manager with General Dynamics and has also helped launch the China Lake Alliance, a community advocacy group, designed to support the US Navy at China Lake. Mick served his country as a Navy pilot, flying a wide array of Navy jets in many locations throughout the world, but spent most of his time flying the A-6 Intruder. As an A-6 pilot, and while stationed aboard the USS Ranger in the Arabian Gulf, he had the honor of flying in the first strike launched against Saddam Hussein’s forces during Operation Desert Storm and in 52 other strikes during that conflict, many of them as an Air Wing Strike Leader. For his performance during that period, he received many Air Medals and other awards including his squadron’s Junior Officer Leadership Award. Mick graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1976 and from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA in 1999 where he earned his Master’s Degree in Astronautical Engineering. He loves spending time with his family and kids.