Michael Edward Conley is a

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

who has served as the commander of

Air Force Special Operations Command Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Florida, is the special operations component of the United States Air Force. An Air Force major command (MAJCOM), AFSOC is also the U.S. Air Force component command ...

since 2 July 2024. Conley most recently served as the director of operations of the

from 2023 to 2024. He also served as the director of strategic plans, requirements, and programs of the

Air Mobility Command The Air Mobility Command (AMC) is a List of Major Commands of the United States Air Force, Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, U.S. Air Force. It is headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, east of St. Louis, Missouri, ...

from 2022 to 2023, and as the deputy commander of the

Combined Force Space Component Command The Combined Force Space Component Command (CFSCC) was a U.S.-led multinational subordinate command of United States Space Command. It was responsible for tactical control of American and multinational space forces. The CFSCC's mission was to "pla ...

from 2020 to 2022. Prior to that, he was commander of the

1st Special Operations Wing The 1st Special Operations Wing (1 SOW) at Hurlburt Field, Florida is one of three United States Air Force active duty Special Operations wings and falls under the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). The 1st Special Operations Wing ...

of the United States Air Force from 2018 to 2020. Conley was born and raised in

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. He was commissioned to the U.S. Air Force in May 1996 after graduating from the

United States Air Force Academy The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a United States service academies, United States service academy in Air Force Academy, Colorado, Air Force Academy Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Colorado Springs. I ...

. He also completed pilot training in 1998, and since then, has flown the UH-1N and MH-53 helicopters, and the CV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft. Also during his Air Force career, Conley served as special assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 2005, he was named Air Force Special Operations Pilot of the Year. Conley holds three master's degrees, including a degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College.

Education

* 1996 Bachelor of Science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado * 2000 Squadron Officer's School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama * 2004 M.S. in management, University of Maryland, University College, Maryland * 2006 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence * 2008 M.A. in communication, George Mason University, Virginia (AF Intern Program) * 2010 Air War College, by correspondence * 2014 M.A. in national security and strategic studies, U.S. Naval War College, Rhode Island * 2017 Air Force Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, North Carolina

Assignments

* 1997–1997, student pilot, T-37, Vance AFB, Oklahoma * 1997–1998, student pilot, UN-1H, Ft. Rucker, Alabama * 1998–2001, UH-1N IP/executive officer, 1st Helicopter Squadron, Andrews AFB, Maryland * 2001–2002, student pilot, MH-53J, 551 SOS, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico * 2002–2004, MH-53J/M instructor pilot, 20 SOS, Hurlburt Field, Florida * 2004–2006, MH-53M evaluator pilot/flight commander, 21st SOS, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom * 2006–2007, assistant operations officer, 352 OSS, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom * 2007–2008, AF Intern Program-Strategic Communication, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia * 2008–2009, chief of operations team, SAF/PA, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Virginia * 2009–2011, chief of wing safety/CV-22 pilot, 1 SOW, Hurlburt Field, Florida * 2011–2013, commander, 58 OSS, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico * 2013–2014, student, U.S. Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island * 2014–2015, branch chief, Joint Staff, J-7, Joint Lessons Learned Division, Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia * 2015–2016, deputy director, CAG/special assistant to the CJCS, Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia * 2016–2018, vice commander, 27 SOW, Cannon AFB, New Mexico * 2018–2020, commander, 1 SOW, Hurlburt Field, Florida * 2020–2022, deputy combined force space component commander, U.S. Space Command, Vandenberg AFB, California * 2022–2023, director of strategy, plans, requirements, and programs, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Illinois * 2023–2024, director of operations, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Florida * 2024–present, commander, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Florida

Awards and decorations

* Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster * Bronze Star * Defense Meritorious Service Medal * Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters * Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters * Aerial Achievement Medal with six oak leaf clusters * Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters * Air Force Achievement Medal * Air Force Combat Action Medal * Humanitarian Service Medal * 2005 Air Force Special Operations Command Pilot of the Year

Effective dates of promotion

Conley was nominated for the rank of brigadier general on January 9, 2020, and was sworn in June 2020.

References

, - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Conley, Michael Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) Space Operations Command personnel United States Air Force generals Brigadier generals United States Air Force Academy alumni University System of Maryland alumni George Mason University alumni Naval War College alumni Recipients of the Legion of Merit