WMU ROTC Wall of Fame

 

Colonel Alan Meyer received his commission as a Second Lieutenant from Western Michigan University in 1988. He served in the Michigan National Guard for two years while completing his bachelor’s degree at WMU. After serving for three years in Japan, he attended the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Ranger School, and Special Forces Qualification Course, earning his green beret. He served with the 10^th Special Forces Group with multiple deployments to Bosnia and Eastern Europe.

 

Meyer left active duty in 1998 to pursue a civilian career as a history professor but continued to serve as a citizen-soldier in the Army National Guard and the Army Reserve. Promoted to Major in 2002, he became the Assistant Operations Officer for the newly formed Special Operations Detachment-Joint Forces, which was deployed to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

After returning, Meyer transferred to the Army Reserve and was assigned to the Command Historian’s Office for the Army Special Operations Command. Following his promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, he taught Command and General Staff College. Upon promotion to Colonel in 2014, he and his team planned and executed large-scale military exercises involving numerous units and more than 10,000 troops. In 2018, he retired after 30 years of commissioned service.

Meyer’s military awards include the Legion of Merit, Soldiers Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal (three oak leaf clusters), Army Achievement Medal (two oak leaf clusters), Navy Achievement Medal, and the NATO Medal. Along with his U.S. Army Senior Parachutist badge, he has earned foreign military jump wings from Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Macedonia and Paraguay.

Meyer’s military education includes the Army’s Basic Parachutist and Jumpmaster Courses, Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat Course, Command and General Staff College, and U.S. Air Force’s Air Command and Staff College. He holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Delaware and is an associate professor of history at Auburn University.