Lieutenant Colonel Glenn W. Johnson was born in Springerville, Arizona and received his BS in Criminal Justice from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. Commissioned into the Infantry through ROTC as a Distinguished Military Graduate in 1994, his military education includes Infantry Officer Basic Course, Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Combined Arms and Services Staff School, a Graduate degree in Defense Analysis specializing in Terrorism from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and the Command and General Staff College.
He has served as a platoon leader in 2/9 Infantry, Camp Casey, Korea and 2/7 Infantry, Ft. Stewart, Ga as well as an Infantry Company Executive Officer. After graduation from the Special Forces Detachment Officer Qualification Course in 1999, he was assigned to A Company, 1/5 Special Forces Group (Airborne) where he commanded Special Forces Operational Detachment A – 513 and B Troop as part of the Combatant Commanders In-extremis Force (CIF). While serving in A-1/5 SFG(A), LTC Johnson participated in the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and deployed as the Crisis Resolution Element on the Horn of Africa as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, and then deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. Following Detachment Command, he was assigned to the National Assessment Group in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 2007, LTC Johnson was assigned as a Global War on Terrorism planner with 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) where he was again deployed to Afghanistan. Upon his return from overseas, he took command of C Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne). This was followed with the command of Operations Detachment, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne). In 2010, LTC Johnson became the Professor of Military Science for Northern Arizona University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. In 2011, after coming out on the Command Select List, LTC Johnson took command of a Security Forces Assistance Team and returned to Afghanistan. LTC Johnson is currently assigned as the Director of the Defense Analysis Common Operational Research Environment (CORE) Lab and Chief of the Unconventional Warfare Fusion Cell at the Naval Postgraduate School.