Olson is a Baptist minister and retired United States Air Force non-commissioned officer originally from Alanson, Michigan.
[1] Olson owned a 120-acre (0.49 km2) wooded property in Northern Michigan which served as the militia's training base, where members learned paramilitary skills.
[2] Olson drew the attention of the U.S. government to himself and the Michigan Militia when he reported that Oklahoma City bombing accomplice Terry Nichols had attended one of his meetings.
[2][4] Also in 1995, Olson testified about the militia movement to the United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security.
[5] In 2000, Olson ordered militias across the United States to defend the Indianapolis Baptist Temple, whose property was to be seized after multiple failures to pay taxes.