A native of Beaumont, Texas, Colonel Mike Carlson graduated from the University of Southern California in 1993 and began a career as a print journalist, writing and editing in Bakersfield, Los Angeles, Singapore, and Hong Kong. His overseas experiences awakened a desire to give back to the United States, and he commissioned in December 2000.
 
From 2000-2004, he served as Group Adjutant, Platoon Commander, and Training Officer with 1st Stinger Battery, Marine Air Control Group 18, in Okinawa. In 2005, he joined a Reserve artillery unit, 1st Battalion, 14th Marines, and deployed to Iraq in 2006-2007 as a Platoon Commander in charge of the Regional Detention Facility in Fallujah. His Marines processed 1,200 detainees during a seven-month period with zero escapes and no incidents of abuse.
 
In 2008, Colonel Carlson began his first tour with 3d Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, Camp Pendleton, where he served as Adjutant and Commanding Officer, Battery A. He graduated from the Weapons and Tactics Instructor course in 2009. During Operation ENDURING FREEDOM in 2010, his Marines provided external base security to the Bastion-Leatherneck-Shorabak Complex, searched more than 45,000 vehicles, and executed more than 500 mounted patrols.
 
From 2011-2013, he completed a master's degree in Regional Security Studies for Southeast Asia at the Naval Postgraduate School and Indonesian language training at the Defense Language Institute. He and his family decamped to Jakarta, where he worked as a Foreign Area Officer from 2013-2014. In February 2014, partnered with a Russian journalist, he walked 100 miles through the jungles of Borneo to survey the success of rainforest conservation projects. 
 
He returned to 3d Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion in May 2014 as the Executive Officer. From 2015-2017, he served as the Logistics Officer and Control Group Detachment Officer-in-Charge with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 166 (Reinforced) on the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit. His Marines deployed aboard the USS BOXER and supported exercises in Yemen, Djibouti, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and South Korea. 
 
From 2017-2019, he served Marine Air Control Group 38 aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego as its Assistant Operations Officer, Operations Officer, and Executive Officer. 
 
In June 2019, he became the Commanding Officer of 3d Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, where he led 400 Marines as they trained and deployed to kill enemy aircraft and drones with Stinger missiles and counter-drone jammers. The battalion's MEU detachment on the USS BOXER downed two Iranian drones in July 2019. His command tour concluded in June 2021. 
 
Post-command, Colonel Carlson graduated from Air War College in May 2022. From 2022-2023, he served as the Marine Air Command and Control System Branch Head at Headquarters Marine Corps, Combat Development and Integration. His team garnered $960 million in acceleration funds for its portfolio of radar, missile, and aviation command and control programs, including the seed money to launch the inaugural cruise missile defense capability for the Marine Corps.
 
From 2023-2025, he served as the Deputy Operations Officer for Joint Task Force Operations with 3d Marine Division in Okinawa, advising and assisting partner nations in the Indo-Pacific with a Joint team built to counter the People's Republic of China.