Major General Michelle Link currently serves as the Commanding General of the 75th United States Army Reserve Innovation Command at Joint Base Ellington Field, in Houston, Texas. She previously served as the Deputy Commander, Joint Task Force Red Hill, United States Indo-Pacific Command. She graduated from Michigan State University, with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and was commissioned as an engineer officer in the U.S. Army Reserve. She graduated with distinction with a Master of Science in Engineering Management, Manufacture and Design from the University of Hertfordshire, England and a Master of Strategic Studies from the Army War College. Maj. Gen. Link originates from Detroit, Michigan.
Maj. Gen. Link has served in a variety of command and staff positions over her career. She began as a Platoon Leader, 983rd Engineer Battalion, United States Army Reserve. She subsequently transferred to the Ohio Army National Guard where her assignments included: Assistant S3 and HHC Commander, 612th Engineer Battalion; Facilities Design Engineer, and Plans Officer, 416th Engineer Group Design Management Section; and Executive Officer, 512th Engineer Battalion. She transferred back to the Army Reserve and served with the 412th Theater Engineer Command (Forward) in Heidelberg, Germany as an Engineer Construction Quality Assurance Officer and deployed to Afghanistan as the Engineering Plans Officer, 416th Engineer Group. She served as Commander, 478th Engineer Battalion, Fort Thomas, Kentucky, and Commander of the 372nd Engineer Brigade, Fort Snelling, Minnesota. She has also held the positions of: Deputy Chief of Staff G3, Chief of Staff, and Deputy Commanding General of the 416th Theater Engineer Command, Darien, Illinois. She recently served as the principal military advisor to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics, on matters pertaining to operational contract support, supply chain risk management, vendor threat mitigation, and private security contractors.
Maj. Gen. Link’s decorations include: the Legion of Merit (2 awards), Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (3 awards), Army Commendation Medal (5 awards), Army Achievement Medal (2 awards), National Defense Service Medal (2 awards), Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Overseas Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal (8 awards), and Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon (5 awards).
Maj. Gen. Link’s military education includes the Engineer Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Combined Arms and Services Staff School, Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, and Command and General Staff College. She is a member of the Army Acquisition Corps, Lean Six Sigma Blackbelt and Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certified in both Logistics and Engineering. In her civilian capacity Maj. Gen. Link serves as the Deputy Program Executive Officer, Ground Combat Systems where she provides professional and executive management of the development, systems integration, acquisition, testing, fielding, sustainment, and improvement of ground combat systems.
In her civilian capacity, Maj. Gen. Link serves as the Product Support Manager for Program Executive Office Ground Combat Systems, Assistant Secretary of the Army, Acquisition, Logistics & Technology, where she is responsible for managing the support functions required to field and maintain the readiness and operational capability of the Army’s ground combat weapon systems, subsystems, and components. She is a member of the Army Acquisition Corps, Lean Six Sigma Blackbelt and Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certified in both Logistics and Engineering.