Profile in Leadership: Michael A. Shupp '81 (Col. USMC, Ret.)

Details and information submitted by Colonel Shupp's Brother Rats. Special thanks to Colonel Shupp as well for his shared reflections.Colonel Michael Shupp, a retired United States Marine Corps Colonel, is certainly a distinguished graduate of VMI. He served for 27 years following his May 1981 graduation from VMI, and is currently with Van Scoyoc Associates (VSA) government relations. He has been a Vice President at VSA since 2008, and is a leader of the firm's defense practice. He has been repeatedly recognized for his leadership and accomplishments in this role. His profile on VSA's website notes, "From the halls of Congress to the E-ring, and from the field to the boardroom, Mike Shupp – a retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel – provides clients with a rare blend of senior combat leadership, legislative affairs experience at the highest military levels, and a comprehensive understanding of federal acquisition and international sales policies. As a Vice President at Van Scoyoc Associates, he is a leader of the firm's defense practice, putting his skills and credentials to use for national security, homeland security, Veterans affairs, and international clients." The website further notes, "Throughout his decorated military career, he led our forces or participated in military operations in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, he commanded the main ground effort during the Battle of Fallujah, and after his regimental combat team cleared that insurgent-occupied city during the largest urban battle since the Korean Conflict, Mike was in charge of the reconstruction of the city and their participation in Iraq's first free elections in 2005." Colonel Shupp is grateful to VMI for the foundation it gave him as he moved into service and eventually the private sector. Looking back at his time at VMI, Colonel Shupp says he chose to attend the Institute because of "The challenge - 'You may be whatever you resolve to be.'" Adding that what resonated with him was the emphasis on "Honor, hard work, sacrifice and commitment!" Colonel Shupp further shares just how much of a lasting impact VMI has had on him, "You will face challenges, get knocked down every now and then, but you can rise above them. Leadership to include the good, the bad and the ugly. No one does it better than VMI. Our experiences at VMI prepare everyone for the most difficult challenges." Following his graduation from VMI and after commissioning, Lt. Shupp became a track officer in the Marine Corps and initially was assigned to the 3rd Marine Division where he served as a track vehicle platoon commander. He was also an aide de camp for the assistant division commander during that tour. After two years at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, he served as a series officer for two years and then became the Assistant Director for the Drill Instructor school. From there, Colonel Shupp was assigned to the Naval Academy (USNA), where he was a company officer (equivalent of a TAC) and, as tasked by the legendary Colonel John Ripley (an USNA graduate from a VMI family), to be responsible for drill and instruction at the Naval Academy - Shupp also served as leadership instructor as well at the Academy. Because of his outstanding leadership and mentorship of Midshipmen at USNA, U.S. Naval Academy's Class of 1989 named Shupp an honorary graduate of that Class for his dedicated service as a Company Officer and respected leader in the Brigade of Midshipmen. It is believed that Colonel Shupp is the only living alumnus of either VMI or USNA to have received Class Rings from both the Institute ('81) and the Naval Academy ('89). Colonel Shupp was next assigned to Fort Knox for the Advanced Armor Course and the Cavalry Leaders Course. From there, he joined the 1st Light Armored Infantry Battalion and was a Company Commander, leading Alpha Company of Task Force Shepherd (named for General Lemuel Shepherd USMC, VMI grad) over to Kuwait for Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM. His company led the advance of the 1st Marine Division through the sand berms into Kuwait with a light armored infantry unit acting as a cavalry force. Colonel Shupp's team led the attacks through the Al Burqan oil fields and captured Kuwait International Airport. For his actions in DESERT STORM, he received the Bronze Star with the "V" device for valor in combat. Upon his return to the United States, Colonel Shupp became the H&S (Headquarters and Service) Company commander. He was then appointed the operations officer for the battalion and deployed the battalion to the riots of Los Angeles, where they restored peace over a 4-week deployment. Colonel Shupp next became program manager/Light Armored Vehicle (LAV), a leader on the light armored vehicle program, with a focus on selling LAVs to the Saudi Arabian NationalGuard, going back and forth to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He managed the Foreign Military sale of 1,100 Light Armored Vehicles to Saudi Arabia. After his stint as a program manager/LAVs, he studied at the Command and Staff College and then attended the School of Advanced Warfighting. From there, he was assigned to II MEF [2nd Marine Expeditionary Force] as an operational war planner, planning two major exercises – Strong Resolve and Battle Griffin – inside of Norway in the Arctic Circle. He then became the plans officer for 26th MEU – Marine Expeditionary Unit – and deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina as the NATO reinforcement on Operation Dynamic Response. Shupp also served as the Marine Corps ground planner for the land war in Kosovo. Afterward, Colonel Shupp worked on the special assessment team for the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, later engaging in humanitarian assistance operations through South and Central America for hurricane disasters that occurred. Colonel Shupp returned to Southern California and took command of the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR) Battalion out at 29 Palms. He deployed as the ground combat commander for Bright Star where the 3rd LAR was the aggressor force for all coalition forces, then returned to the States with the 3rd LAR and continued to train at 29 Palms. After his command tour of the 3rd LAR, Colonel Shupp was selected for the Naval War College, but was pulled from that assignment to become the Marine Corps Director of Legislative Affairs and liaison to the U.S. House of Representatives, working on the Operational Leadership Experiences Project, Combat Studies Institute, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, for Capitol Hill with the House as the Marine Corps' point man. When he finished that assignment, Colonel Shupp received orders to take command of the 1st Marine Regiment. At this point, Colonel Shupp was to have joined the Regimental Combat Team 1 (RCT-1). He indeed went over to Iraq, joined the division, and was supposed to go through a break-in period to learn the ins and outs of the assignment. When he got to Iraq at the end of May 2004, however, his wife was diagnosed with cancer. The Marine Corps sent Colonel Shupp back home to Annapolis, Maryland, to be with his wife.The plan then became swapping the assignment for the regiment with Colonel Shupp's good friend then-Colonel Larry Nicholson USMC (a graduate of the Citadel and of Augusta Military Academy in Ft. Defiance, Virginia) who was scheduled to take over the 5th Marine Regiment. Colonel Shupp's wife underwent a 70-day treatment and beat cancer. Colonel Shupp was deployed back to Iraq in September of 2004. On September 14th, Colonel Shupp went to Colonel Nicholson's change of command, and that night, the CP [Command Post] at Camp Fallujah was hit by an enemy 120 millimeter rocket. The next morning, the commanding general said, "Pack your bags, you're going up there to take command of your regiment." So Colonel Shupp got back into the breach again to take over the 1st Marines, which put him in command of the regiment at that time. For Colonel Shupp's actions as the battlefield commander of RCT-1 consisting of approximately 6,000 – 7,000 Marines, U.S. Army soldiers (including the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment and the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment Manchu Mechanized, 1st and 2nd Platoon, C.Co, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division), U.S Navy personnel, and Iraqi troops at the second Battle of Fallujah (Operation Phantom Fury), Colonel Shupp received the Legion of Merit with the "V" device for valor in combat. He holds numerous other awards and decorations. After overseeing the routing of the insurgents in Fallujah in the Fall of 2004, as noted earlier, Colonel Shupp was charged with the responsibility of rebuilding the City so its citizens could vote in their first-ever free and fair election. After serving as the ground commander in Operation Phantom Fury and overseeing the ensuing rebuilding of major parts of Fallujah, which enabled the election there, Colonel Shupp returned to the U.S., serving as the Chief of Staff of Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Organization (JIDO), the Nation's urgent program to counter the enemy's deadly use of improvised explosive devices in Iraq. Before retiring from active duty to join Van Scoyoc Associates, Colonel Shupp also served as the principal advisor on legislative affairs to Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. A native of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Colonel Shupp earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from the Virginia Military Institute and Masters degrees in Business Management from Webster University and in Military Studies from the Marine Corps Command and Staff College. He graduated from the School of Advanced Warfighting and numerous other military specialty schools. Over the years, Colonel Shupp has returned to VMI to speak with cadets about careers and has arranged for VMI cadets interested in government relations to interview competitively for summer internships with his firm, VSA. Several years ago, he gave the keynote address at the Cadet-Alumni Career Networking Forum. Earlier this month, he was an alumni volunteer conducting mock interviews with non-commissioning cadets in the Leadership and Career Development IV course in conjunction with VMI's Office of Career Services. Colonel Shupp is to be thanked for his dedicated and impressive service to the country, and for his continued dedication to and involvement with VMI. As he looks back at time spent at VMI, Colonel Shupp reflects, "Kipling said, 'Body and spirit I surrendered whole to harsh instructors —and received a soul… ' VMI gave us all that and then some. It made us hard-working, honorable and courageous warriors ready to serve this great Nation…No matter where you are in the States or deployed overseas, you will always have your VMI family."