Former Oklahoma National Guard Adjutant General Mike Thompson is returning to his law enforcement roots as the deputy director of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the general announced Monday.
"The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is Oklahoma’s oldest state law enforcement agency. Thrilled to be a part of the mission," Thompson said in a tweet.
Thompson has served previously as an Oklahoma state trooper, an Army combat veteran and major general, and the commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety.
Thompson was fired by Gov. Kevin Stitt after four years as adjutant general in November. At the time, Thompson said the move came as a surprise, and that the governor had reneged on a promise to keep him on through 2022. Stitt's chosen replacement and current adjutant general, Brig. Gen. Tommy Mancino, pushed Stitt's policy priority of seeking exemptions from Pentagon military readiness requirements for National Guard members in Oklahoma who don't wish to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
After being relieved of his command, Thompson moved to Washington in December, where he served as special assistant to the chief of the National Guard Bureau.
A request for comment from the OSBI regarding the hiring sent Monday morning was not immediately returned.
