Lieutenant General (Ret.) Michael H. “Mike” Shields built a distinguished 34‑year career in the U.S. Army before bringing his operational insight and strategic leadership to CACI. Today, he serves as senior vice president of Advanced Technology for Mission Adoption, helping accelerate next‑generation technologies that support the nation’s most critical missions.
Since joining the Army in 1985, Shields has served in a wide range of challenging command assignments to include the 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment and most notably the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team in Iraq, which received the Valorous Unit Award for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an armed enemy. The 172nd SBCT was extended during redeployment and served one of the longest combat tours of the war. He later went on to serve as commanding general, United States Army Alaska.
Shields has served in several key strategy and policy positions within the Joint Staff including assistant deputy director for European NATO Russian and African Policy and director of the National Joint Operations and Intelligence Center in the NMCC. In 2010, he was assigned as the deputy director for Operations and Intelligence for the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization. He returned from Afghanistan in 2012 to serve on the Joint Staff as the director of the Pakistan Afghanistan Coordination Cell. His final role in the Department of War was as director of the Joint Improvised‑Threat Defeat Organization (Defense Threat Reduction Agency).
Throughout his military career, Shields worked extensively in joint environments and high‑risk missions, gaining deep expertise in threat analysis, rapid innovation, and operational integration. These experiences shaped his understanding of how emerging technologies can be fielded effectively to support warfighters in dynamic environments.
Shields joined CACI in May 2019. In his role on the strategy team, he supports strategic planning to ensure advanced technologies are aligned to customer mission needs and are successfully integrated into operational use.
Shields was drawn by CACI’s strong heritage supporting intelligence community and defense missions and its growing portfolio of mission‑critical technologies. He recognized CACI’s commitment to developing advanced capabilities that directly support warfighters and national security priorities, an alignment that allowed him to continue his service in a new capacity.
His Army career instilled in him a mission‑first mindset, a deep appreciation for collaboration, and a commitment to delivering capabilities quickly and effectively. His experience directing Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Organization (JIDO) — an organization tasked with rapid innovation and agile operational support — informs his approach to accelerating technology pipelines, strengthening cross‑functional collaboration, and ensuring solutions are truly mission‑ready.
While transitioning from military to civilian leadership, Shields found CACI’s culture strongly aligned to the values he lived throughout his service. The company’s innovative environment enables Shields and other veterans to leverage their experience, contribute directly to national defense priorities, and help shape the next generation of technology for those in uniform.
From leading soldiers on the ground to guiding national‑level threat‑defeat initiatives and now advancing transformative technologies at CACI, Shields has devoted his career to protecting U.S. warfighters and strengthening national security. His path reflects a lifelong dedication to mission, innovation, and service – values he continues to carry forward every day at CACI.
CACI offers careers for veterans that are as dynamic as they are. Explore opportunities to continue your mission with CACI.
About CACI
CACI International Inc (NYSE: CACI) is a national security company with 27,000 talented employees who are Ever Vigilant in expanding the limits of national security. We ensure our customers’ success by delivering differentiated technology and distinctive expertise to accelerate innovation, drive speed and efficiency, and rapidly anticipate and eliminate threats. Our culture drives our success and earns us recognition as a Fortune World’s Most Admired Company. We are members of the Fortune 500™, the Russell 1000 Index, and the S&P MidCap 400 Index. For more information, visit us at caci.com.
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