AFSOC commander discusses mission with Congress

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman J.G. Buzanowski
  • Air Force Print News
WASHINGTON (AFPN) --  "We're helping those who cannot stand on their own against tyranny," Lt. Gen. Michael W. Wooley told a roomful of people Tuesday on Capitol Hill.

The general is the commander of Air Force Special Operations Command. He was in Washington to inform members of Congress, staffers, media representatives and guests about the mission his Airmen perform.

"I have the great fortune to be the commander of AFSOC," he said.

Although it's the smallest of the Air Force's nine major commands, he said his 13,000 Airmen are some of America's finest and are engaged in operations all over the world.

One of the general's key messages he imparted to the crowd was that AFSOC is a Total Force operation.

"Unless you know them personally, you wouldn't be able to distinguish whether an Airman is active duty, a reservist or guardsman," General Wooley said. "Every one of them is a dedicated professional."

The general spoke about past and current operations, but was especially excited to discuss the future of his command.

"The AFSOC we have today is different than the AFSOC we had a year ago," General Wooley said. "And a year from now, it will be even more different as we make progress. We're integrating new technology with what we have today to make the mission happen."

The general witnessed part of that future firsthand when he recently flew the first operational CV-22 Osprey from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to Kirtland AFB, N.M. The tilt-rotor aircraft is expected to be a major part of AFSOC missions within the next few years, he said.

General Wooley also spoke about AFSOC facility realignments as Cannon AFB, N.M., transitions to become home to the 16th Special Operations Wing. In addition, the 1st SOW will be reactivated at Hurlburt Field, Fla., which is also home to AFSOC headquarters.

One thing that impressed those in attendance were the stories General Wooley told of those in the field. He spoke about one combat controller working with forces in Afghanistan who was revered by the locals in helping them in engagements with enemy combatants. The general also explained that advances in technology and training have cut response time down for calling in air strikes from 28 minutes to around three minutes.

After his remarks, the general took questions from the audience. One popular subject was unmanned aerial vehicles, which General Wooley explained hold "an important role in special operations missions" and make a "huge difference" in their success.

He talked about one such UAV made of a Mylar composite that rolls up into a tube and can be taken out when those in the field need the small drone for forward observation.

More than anything, the general wanted everyone to know that AFSOC Airmen are a focal point of mission success.

"We have a high (operations tempo) but we understand why we're in this battle," General Wooley said. "Ever since 9-11, your air commandos are focused. We stay engaged with the enemy on their turf so we're not engaging them on our turf.

"We have robust special operations capabilities and we're working with our sister services. Tenacity, will and guts will get the job done. This war is a marathon -- we've got our pace and we've hit our stride."