Lt. Gen. Michael Conley assumed command of Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) during a ceremony Tuesday at Hurlburt Field.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin presided over the ceremony in the Freedom Hangar, where Conley took the guidon from Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind. Gen. Bryan P. Fenton, Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, also attended the Change of Command event.
- Bauernfeind will go on to serve as the Superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Conley previously served as the Director of Operations for Headquarters AFSOC. In this role, he was responsible for implementing and directing operational command policy for AFSOC’s worldwide special operations units, overseeing 20,800 personnel, approximately 300 aircraft and $17 billion in assets.
His prior experience includes serving as the vice commander for AFSOC’s 27th Special Operations Wing and the commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing.
AFSOC’s mission is to present combat-ready forces to conduct and support global special operations missions. The command is composed of highly trained, rapidly deployable Airmen who conduct a wide range of global special operations.
- These missions include precision application of firepower, infiltration, exfiltration, resupply and refueling of special operations forces’ operational elements.
