Lt Colonel Aaron Mikkelsen

Director, GEOINT New Zealand Defence Forces

Lieutenant Colonel Mikkelsen transferred to the Regular Force in 1999 following 11 years of service in the Army Reserves. In the Regular Force, he has served in a number of staff positions from unit to brigade level between 1999 and 2005. It was also during this time he deployed to East Timor (2001) and Bosnia (2003) in intelligence roles. In 2006, Lieutenant Colonel Mikkelsen was posted to the United Kingdom as an instructor at the Defence Intelligence and Security Centre (Chicksands) as a Senior Instructor.

Upon his return to New Zealand in 2008, Lieutenant Colonel Mikkelsen was posted to the Land Operations Training Centre, Waiouru as the Chief Instructor of the School of Military Intelligence and Security. Whilst as Chief Instructor at, he deployed, at short notice, to Afghanistan in October 2009 to be the Intelligence Officer for the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamyan Province, central Afghanistan.

He received a US Meritorious Service Medal for his efforts in Afghanistan. In 2011, Lieutenant Colonel Mikkelsen attended Staff College at the US Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In December 2012, Lieutenant Colonel Mikkelsen was posted to Headquarters Joint Forces New Zealand (Operational Headquarters), as the Chief Intelligence Officer (J2) on promotion. During his tenure as J2, the US Army Military Intelligence Corps Association awarded LTCOL Mikkelsen the Major General Van Deman Award. This award recognised LTCOL Mikkelsen’s significant contribution to enhancing cooperation with US Military Intelligence Forces within INDOPACOM. In 2016, Lieutenant Colonel Mikkelsen was posted to C4ISR Capability Working Group at HQ NZDF.

During his time he initially served as the C4 Capability Manager then assumed the lead of the C4ISR Working Group in April 2017. The Working Group's role is to develop and define future C3 and ISR operating concepts. In September 2018, Lieutenant Colonel Mikkelsen deployed to the Middle East in support of Coalition operations, returning to NZ in March 2019 to assume the appointment of Director GNZ. Between December 2012 and July 2018, Lieutenant Colonel Mikkelsen also served as the Regimental Colonel of the New Zealand Intelligence Corps (NZIC). This appointment provides advice to the Chief of Army and Land Component Command on intelligence and security matters with respect to the NZIC. Lieutenant Colonel Mikkelsen has a degree in Business Studies from Massey University, a qualified Red Team member from the University of Foreign Military and Cultural Studies (Fort Leavenworth) and has a Post Graduate Diploma in Strategic Studies with a focus on Asia.