Group Captain Mick Jansen joined the Royal Australian Air Force through the Australian Defence Force Academy in 1987. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science, he completed pilot training and commenced operational flying on the P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft at RAAF Base Edinburgh.

During a career spanning almost four decades, he served in a range of command, operational, and strategic appointments. His operational service included deployments to East Timor, Afghanistan, and the Middle East, supporting Australian and coalition operations. He commanded No. 10 Squadron during a period of sustained operational commitments to Operations Slipper and Resolute, before deploying to the Middle East as Deputy Commander of the Australian Air Component.

Promoted to Group Captain in 2013, Jansen subsequently served in senior positions within Defence Headquarters, Air Force Headquarters, and Headquarters Air Command. His international appointments included Commander United Nations Command (Rear) in Tokyo and Australian Defence Attaché to Vietnam. Throughout these roles, he contributed extensively to international engagement, coalition cooperation, and regional defence relationships.

A longstanding advocate for Defence language capability, Jansen has championed opportunities for Australian Defence Force linguists to develop and employ their skills in operational and professional settings. Although first identified for language training early in his career, he did not undertake formal studies until much later, an experience that strengthened his commitment to promoting earlier and broader access to language education across the Defence workforce.

Following his transition to the reserves in 2026, Jansen has continued to pursue his interest in languages through Thai language studies as he prepares for retirement in Southeast Asia. He remains actively engaged with the Defence community and continues to support initiatives that promote linguistic and cultural capability as essential elements of Australia's national and military preparedness.