BRIGADIER GENERAL MICHAEL D. SPROUL
Chaplain, Col Michael D. Sproul is the State Chaplain for the Arizona National Guard. In this capacity, he advises the AZ TAG, LCC, and ATAG on all religious, spiritual, moral, and ethical matters relating to the AZNG and program and organization relating to the Arizona National Guard Chaplain Corps. He leads 20 ANG and ARNG chaplains and 19 Religious Affairs Specialists/Airmen on overarching policies, practices, and programs. He is the prime conduit for the AZNG chaplain corps in aligning planning and practices with NGB-OC and NGB-HC.
His previous position was as the Director of the Air National Guard Corps. He advised senior National Guard leadership on all matters that pertain to religious freedom, accommodation, programming and related activities of the Air National Guard Chaplain Corps. He monitored the appointments, inspections, assignments and deployments of 600 Chapel personnel at 90 wings and 237 geographically separated units while also providing religious support/resiliency to 108,700 airmen across America. He was the ANG Chaplain respresentative to the ANG Board, NGB Board, Headquarters Air Force Chaplain Corps, 9 Major Commands, 3 Combatant Commands, 3 Numbered Air Forces, and the DOD-National Science Foundation inter-agency.
Chaplain Sproul entered active duty service as a direct commission in 1991 and has thirty years of service. He has served five years on active duty, six years in the Air Force Reserve, and nineteen years in the Air Guard. He has deployed three times. His first deployment was to Desert Storm and twice during Operation Enduring Freedom. One of those being as the Wing Chaplain at Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan. He has Doctor of Ministry degree specializing in church administration and counseling. He has also served as the ANG Asst to the Command Chaplain at USAFE-AFAFRICA.
Prior to being Director of the Air National Guard Chaplain Corps, the Colonel was the Senior Pastor of a large multi-ethnic and multi-dimensional congregation. He led, not just a church and educational staff, but also an international team of 241 in ten countries on five continents with a combined weekly worship attendance in excess of 18,000. He oversaw numerous churches, three colleges,and two seminaries as well as numerous building programs. He is currently the Sr. Pastor of Littleton Baptist Church in Littleton, CO. He has served as a civilian pastor for 27 years.
EDUCATION
1985 Bachelor of Arts degree in Pastoral Theology, International Baptist College and Seminary, Chandler, Ariz.
1988 Master of Divinity degree in Theology/Greek, Calvary Baptist Theological Seminary, Lansdale, Pa.
1991 Basic Chaplain School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1993 Academic Instructor's School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1995 Doctor of Ministry degree in Counseling/Church Growth, International Baptist College and Seminary, Chandler, Ariz.
1995 Squadron Officer School, (correspondence), Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2003 Air Command and Staff College, (correspondence), Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2010 Wing Chaplain School, Fort Jackson·, Columbia, S.C.
2012 Air War College, (correspondence), Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2017 Senior Chaplain School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2024 Senior Leader Orientation Course, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1991 - June 1994, Protestant Chaplain, 9th Reconnaissance Wing, Beale, AFB, Calif. (March 1992 -July 1992, Installation Chaplain, Southwest Asia)
2. July 1994 - June 1996, Protestant Chaplain, 36th Air Base Wing, Anderson, AFB, Guam August 1996-'- June 1998, IMA Reservist, Protestant Chaplain, 355th Fighter Wing, Davis-Monthan, AFB, Ariz.
3. July 1998 - September 2000, IMA Reservist, Protestant Chaplain, 56th Fighter Wing, Luke, AFB, Ariz.
4. October 2000 - October 2002, CAT A Reservist, Protestant Chaplain, 944th Fighter Wing, Luke, AFB, Ariz.
5. November 2002 - November 2013, Wing Chaplain, 161 st Air Refueling Wing, Arizona Air Guard, Phoenix, Ariz. (October 2011 -January 2012, Group Installation Chaplain, Southwest Asia) (April 2013 -October 2013, Wing Chaplain, Southwest Asia)
6. December 2013 - December 2017, Air National Guard Assistant to Command Chaplain United States Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa, Ramstein, GE
7. January 2018 - April 2019, Sate Chaplain Arizona National Guard, JFHQ, Phoenix, Ariz
8. April 2019 - May 2021, Director of the Air National Guard Chaplain · Corps, Joint · Base Andrews, Md.
9. May 2021 - May 2022, State Chaplain, Arizona National Guard, JFHQ, Phoenix, Ariz.
10. September 2023 - Present, ANG Assistant to the Chief of Chaplains, HQ USAF (AF/HC), Bolling AFB, D.C.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with four oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Southwest Asia Service Medal with bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal with bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS & AFFLIATIONS
Executive Board Member Foundations Baptist Fellowship International
National Guard Association of Arizona
Adjunct Professor Maranatha Baptist Bible College and Seminary
Adjunct Professor International Baptist College and Seminary
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1993 9th Reconnaissance Wing Company Grade Officer of the Quarter
1995 Published article, “Cinderella and Sleepless in Seattle: An Example of Modern Day Marriages”—Calvary Baptist Theological Seminary Journal
2005 Published author, “God’s Word Preserved”—College Theology Textbook
2017 Published article, “Mentoring in the Local Church”—Frontline Magazine
2019 Published article, “Using Small Groups in the Military to Promote Community”—Frontline Magazine
2020 Published article, “History of Separation of Church and State”—Frontline Magazine
2020 Published article, “Bathasar Hubmaier—An Early Anabaptist proponent of Separation of Church and State”—Frontline Magazine
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
First Lieutenant July 15, 1991
Captain July 15, 1992
Major Oct. 1, 2000
Lieutenant Colonel Oct. 2, 2004
Colonel May 22, 2014
Brigadier General Sept. 1, 2023
(Current as of June 2024)
