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Michael S Mollohan
Faculty Associate - Research
Defense Analysis
Phone: (831) 656-2706
Email: michael.mollohan@nps.edu
Overview
Michael “Grizz” Mollohan Sr.,
Faculty Associate - Research
Defense Analysis, Global ECCO
Michael is a seasoned defense professional, educator, and retired Marine Corps officer with over four decades of experience spanning military service, multinational engagement, and academic instruction. At the Naval Postgraduate School, he serves as a Faculty Researcher and Lecturer in Defense Analysis, contributing to the Regional Defense Fellowship Program (RDFP) and Global ECCO initiatives. He also teaches with Marine Corps University as Adjunct Faculty, where he delivers graduate-level instruction for professional military education programs. His lectures combine theoretical rigor with practical operational insights, reflecting his career-long commitment to advancing defense education.
Formerly enlisted in the Navy Nuclear program he retired after 27 years of active duty in 2013. As a civilian he served as the Regional Security & Policy Advisor with Special Operations Command Pacific, shaping multinational SOF training and academic programs across the Asia-Pacific. Earlier, as a Foreign Area Officer and Military Professor at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, he directed the Comprehensive Security Responses to Terrorism course and facilitated multinational programs on counterterrorism and regional security for participants from more than 50 countries. He also served as a UN Operations Officer and Deputy Commander in the Republic of Georgia during the 2008-2009 conflict and prior service as an advisor to the Royal Thai Marine Corps and Joint US Military Advisory Group.
Education
• PhD Candidate (ABD), Education & Organizational Leadership – Northcentral / National University
• MA, National Security Affairs (SE Asia focus) – Naval Postgraduate School
• MS, Business Management – Troy University
• BS, Political Science & Russian/Soviet Studies – United States Naval Academy
• Other: Terrorism Studies (University of St. Andrews); Curriculum Development & Instructional Design (USC Rossier School of Education); Business Logistics (UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School); International Relations (Chulalongkorn University); Russian Language & Political Science (Moscow State University)
Areas of Expertise - National Security · Strategic Leadership · Operational Planning · Multinational Engagement · Security Cooperation · Interagency Coordination · Irregular Warfare · Counterterrorism · Defense Education · Leadership Development
Faculty Associate - Research
Defense Analysis, Global ECCO
Michael is a seasoned defense professional, educator, and retired Marine Corps officer with over four decades of experience spanning military service, multinational engagement, and academic instruction. At the Naval Postgraduate School, he serves as a Faculty Researcher and Lecturer in Defense Analysis, contributing to the Regional Defense Fellowship Program (RDFP) and Global ECCO initiatives. He also teaches with Marine Corps University as Adjunct Faculty, where he delivers graduate-level instruction for professional military education programs. His lectures combine theoretical rigor with practical operational insights, reflecting his career-long commitment to advancing defense education.
Formerly enlisted in the Navy Nuclear program he retired after 27 years of active duty in 2013. As a civilian he served as the Regional Security & Policy Advisor with Special Operations Command Pacific, shaping multinational SOF training and academic programs across the Asia-Pacific. Earlier, as a Foreign Area Officer and Military Professor at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, he directed the Comprehensive Security Responses to Terrorism course and facilitated multinational programs on counterterrorism and regional security for participants from more than 50 countries. He also served as a UN Operations Officer and Deputy Commander in the Republic of Georgia during the 2008-2009 conflict and prior service as an advisor to the Royal Thai Marine Corps and Joint US Military Advisory Group.
Education
• PhD Candidate (ABD), Education & Organizational Leadership – Northcentral / National University
• MA, National Security Affairs (SE Asia focus) – Naval Postgraduate School
• MS, Business Management – Troy University
• BS, Political Science & Russian/Soviet Studies – United States Naval Academy
• Other: Terrorism Studies (University of St. Andrews); Curriculum Development & Instructional Design (USC Rossier School of Education); Business Logistics (UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School); International Relations (Chulalongkorn University); Russian Language & Political Science (Moscow State University)
Areas of Expertise - National Security · Strategic Leadership · Operational Planning · Multinational Engagement · Security Cooperation · Interagency Coordination · Irregular Warfare · Counterterrorism · Defense Education · Leadership Development
NPS Experience
- 2021 - current: Faculty Associate - Research
Research Interests
Current and ongoing research in Sovereign AI and Irregular Warfare, Resistance and Comprehensive Defense, Civilian Harm Mitigation Reduction (CHMR) and Operational Command, Serious Game Design and Education
Teaching Interests
His areas of research and lecturing interest include Irregular Warfare and Security Education, Southeast Asia, Russia and the Former Soviet Union, Combatting Terrorism, Resiliency and Crises, Resistance and Comprehensive Defense and Global Power Competition.