Lt. Col. Michael Hansen

U. S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Michael Hansen has advanced to commander of the 72nd Medical Detachment – Veterinary Service Support – 86th Combat Support Hospital Eagles Vets – at Ft. Campbell, Ky.

LTC Hansen, a veterinarian, is a 1990 graduate of South Tama High School and the son of Dale and Shirley Hansen, longtime Toledo residents now living in Oconomowoc, Wisc.

A Change of Command Ceremony was held at Ft. Campbell on June 21 which his parents and family friends attended.

LTC Hansen and his wife of over 21 years, the former Marla K. Walton of Farmington, Iowa, have four sons, SGT. Austin Hansen, 23, Dakota, 21, Zachary, 20, and Reno, 18, and one daughter, Tiffani, 16.

LTC Hansen received a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science in 1996, and his Doctorate in Veterinary medicine in 2001, both from Iowa State University.

He went on to complete a Master of Public Health from the University of Kansas Medical Center in 2012.

LTC Hansen served his first 12 years in the military as an enlisted Soldier in the U. S. Army Reserves. He was commissioned as a Captain in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps in 2002.

LTC Hansen’s military education includes the AMEDD Officer Basic course (2002), the AMEDD Officer Advanced Course (2004), the USDA reign Animal Disease Diagnostician Course (2005), and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff Officers’Course (2011).

His duty assignments included Branch Chief, Fort Riley Veterinary Branch November 2002-May 2005; OIC, 6th Squad, 72nd Medical Detachment (Veterinary Services) June 2005-June 2008, Bamberg, Germany; Branch Chief, Fort Leavenworth Veterinary Branch July 2008-July 2010; Deputy Commander, U.S. Army Public Health Command District-Northern Europe June 2013-June 2015, Kaiserslautern, Germany; and Chief, Food Safety Office, Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support July 2015-April 2017, Philadelphia, Pa.

LTC Hansen deployed to Iraq with the 72nd Medical Detachment (VS) as part Medical Task Force 30 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 05-06. His team provided veterinary service support to the U.S. Forces in and around Tikrit.

LTC Hansen’s military awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with 2 OLC, Army Achievement Medal with 2 OLC, Meritorious Unit Citation, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal with 2 OLC, National Defense Service Medal with one Bronze Service Star, Iraq Campaign Medal with two Campaign Stars, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal.