Michael W. Wooley

Michael W. Wooley
Michael W. Wooley
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Air Force
Years of service	1972–2007
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands held	Air Force Special Operations Command ; Third Air Force ; Tanker Airlift Control Center ; 86th Airlift Wing ; 375th Airlift Wing; 17th Military Airlift Squadron
Awards	Air Force Distinguished Service Medal ; Defense Superior Service Medal ; Legion of Merit (2); Bronze Star Medal
Alma mater	Northeast Louisiana University ; Squadron Officer School Webster University ; Air Command and Staff College ; USAF Air War College ; Industrial College of the Armed Forces

Last updated February 18, 2024

Lieutenant General Michael W. Wooley is a retired United States Air Force officer. He finished his career as the commander of the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), a component of the United States Special Operations Command. At the time of his retirement, the command included approximately 12,900 active-duty, reserve, Air National Guard, and civilian professionals.

Early life and education

Wolley received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Northeast Louisiana University in 1972. He also completed undergraduate pilot training at Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma. He then attended Squadron Officer School, by correspondence, graduating in 1976.

He received a Master of Science degree in business and management from Webster University in 1981. In 1983, Wooley graduated from the Air Command and Staff College. He graduated from the USAF Air War College in 1985 and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1992.

He completed the Executive Program for General Officers of the Russian Federation and the United States in 1999 and the Black Sea Security Program in 2003, both at the John F. Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University in 1999.

Military career

Wooley is a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours. He received his first commission from Officer Training School. He commanded the 17th Military Airlift Squadron, the 375th and 86th Airlift Wings, and the Tanker Airlift Control Center.

At United States Forces Korea, Wooley was responsible for formulating strategy and policy for matters about the Republic of Korea and Northeast Asia. He became the Commander of the Third Air Force which was stationed at the Royal Air Force base in Mildenhall, Suffolk, England.

He was promoted to Brigadier General in 1997, Major General in 2000, and Lieutenant General in 2004. His final commission was as the commander of the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), a component of the United States Special Operations Command. At the time of his retirement, the command included approximately 12,900 active-duty, reserve, Air National Guard, and civilian professionals.^[1]

Promotions

Second Lieutenant – September 20, 1972
First Lieutenant – September 20, 1974
Captain – September 20, 1976
Major – December 3, 1980
Lieutenant Colonel – March 1, 1986
Colonel – November 1, 1991
Brigadier General – September 1, 1997
Major General – October 1, 2000
Lieutenant General – August 1, 2004

Assignments

October 1972–September 1973: student and distinguished graduate enrolled in undergraduate pilot training at Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma
October 1973–November 1974: C-141 tanker and transport unit training at Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma; land survival training at Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington; and water survival training at Homestead Air Force Base in Florida
November 1974–May 1979: C-141A co-pilot, first pilot, aircraft commander, instructor, and aide-de-camp with the 20th Military Airlift Squadron at the Charleston Air Force Base in South Carolina
May 1979–August 1982: readiness initiatives analyst with the headquarters of Military Airlift Command at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois
August 1982–June 1983: student at the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama
June 1983–February 1984: C-141 pilot with the 41st Military Airlift Squadron at the Charleston Air Force Base in South Carolina
February 1984–February 1985: C-141 assistant chief pilot and special airlift mission planner with the 41st Military Airlift Squadron at the Charleston Air Force Base
February 1985–June 1985: chief of current operations and airlift director with the 41st Military Airlift Squadron at the Charleston Air Force Base
June 1985–August 1987: assistant operations officer and, later, operations officer with the 41st Military Airlift Squadron at the Charleston Air Force Base
August 1987–July 1989: commander of the 17th Airlift Squadron at the Charleston Air Force Base
July 1989–April 1990: chief of the Foreign Clearance Section and chief of the International Treaties Section of the Arms Control and International Negotiations Division of the Directorate of Plans, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations at the Headquarters of the U.S. Air Force in Washington, D.C.
April 1990–August 1991: secretary for Joint Chiefs of Staff and National Security Council Matters of the Directorate of Plans, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations at the Headquarters of the U.S. Air Force in Washington, D.C.
August 1991–July 1992: student at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C.
July 1992–August 1994: chief of strategy and policy with U.S. Forces Korea at the Yongsan Army Garrison in Seoul, South Korea
August 1994–November 1995: chief of the Inspections Division with the Office of the Inspector General, Headquarters Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois
November 1995–May 1997: commander of the 375th Airlift Wing at Scott Air Force Base
May 1997–July 1998: vice commander of the Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field in Florida
July 1998–January 2000: commander of the 86th Airlift Wing and Kaiserslautern Military Community at Ramstein Airbase in Germany
January 2000–June 2002: commander of the Tanker Airlift Control Center, Headquarters Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base
June 2002–June 2004: commander of the Third Air Force at the Royal Air Force base in Mildenhall, Suffolk, England
July 2004–November 2007: commander of Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field in Florida

Flight information

Wooley is rated as a command pilot. He has accumulated more than 4,000 flight hours. He has flown the following aircraft:

Awards and decorations

US Air Force Command Pilot Badge

	Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
	Defense Superior Service Medal
	Legion of Merit with one bronze oak leaf cluster
	Bronze Star Medal
	Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
	Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
	Air Medal with oak leaf cluster
	Joint Service Commendation Medal
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
	Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with oak leaf cluster
	Combat Readiness Medal
	National Defense Service Medal with two bronze service stars
	Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
	Kosovo Campaign Medal
	Humanitarian Service Medal with service star
	Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon
	Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon
	Air Force Longevity Service Award with one silver and two bronze oak leaf clusters
	Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
	Air Force Training Ribbon
	Order of National Security Merit Sam-Il Medal (Republic of Korea)

Related Research Articles

Norton Allan Schwartz is a retired United States Air Force general who served as the 19th Chief of Staff of the Air Force from August 12, 2008, until his retirement in 2012. He previously served as commander, United States Transportation Command from September 2005 to August 2008. He is currently the president and CEO of the Institute for Defense Analyses, serving since January 2, 2020.

Duncan J. McNabb is a retired United States Air Force general who last served as the ninth commander, United States Transportation Command from September 5, 2008, to October 17, 2011. He previously served as the 33rd Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force.

General James Rodgers Allen was commander-in-chief of the Military Airlift Command, with headquarters at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, in the United States.

Claudius Elmer "Bud" Watts III was a United States Air Force lieutenant general and past president of The Citadel having served from 1989 to 1996. Watts Barracks is named in his honor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles R. Holland</span> United States Air Force general

Charles R. Holland is a retired United States Air Force general who served as the commander of United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. As commander, he was responsible for all special operations forces across every branch in the U.S. Armed Forces. Currently, Holland is the first and the only member of the U.S. Air Force to serve as commander of USSOCOM.

The 919th Special Operations Wing is an Air Reserve Component (ARC) unit of the United States Air Force. The 919 SOW is assigned to the Tenth Air Force of the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) and is stationed at Duke Field, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonio J. Ramos</span> United States Air Force general

Brigadier General Antonio J. Ramos was an officer of the United States Air Force. He was the first Hispanic to serve as commander, Air Force Security Assistance Center, Air Force Materiel Command, and dual-hatted as Assistant to the Commander for International Affairs, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command.

Alfred Gustav Hansen is a retired United States Air Force four-star general who served as Commander, Air Force Logistics Command (COMAFLC) from 1987 to 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">José M. Portela</span> United States Air Force general

Brigadier General José M. Portela (Ret.),, is a retired officer of the United States Air Force who recently retired from the position of Assistant Adjutant General for Air, which he held while also serving as commander of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard. In 1972, Portela became the youngest C-141 Starlifter aircraft commander and captain at age 22. Portela is also the only reservist ever to serve as director of mobility forces for Bosnia. He is also the first native of Puerto Rico to hold the rank of Brigadier General in the United States Air Force Reserve.

General Walter Kross is a retired United States Air Force four-star general who served as Commander in Chief, United States Transportation Command/Commander, Air Mobility Command from 1996 to 1998.

Duane Harlan Cassidy was a general in the United States Air Force and the former commander of the Military Airlift Command and United States Transportation Command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul J. Fletcher</span> United States Air Force general

Major General Paul J. Fletcher is a retired senior United States Air Force officer, who served as Vice Commander, 3rd Air Force, from 2006 to 2007. He was commissioned through the Washington State University United States Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps program. His experience includes airlift operations; programming; acquisition management; joint planning for modeling and simulation support for training; and standing up the C-130 Weapons Instructor Course. He has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels, and has flown more than 3,500 hours, primarily in the C-130E.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Vollmecke</span> United States Air Force general

Major General Eric W. Vollmecke is a retired United States Air Force general. He was the Air National Guard Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, United States Air Forces in Europe/Air Forces Africa and was formerly the Assistant Adjutant General - Air in the West Virginia National Guard.

Paul Joseph Selva is a retired United States Air Force general who served as the tenth vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In this capacity, he was the nation's second-highest-ranking military officer, and the highest-ranking officer in the Air Force. He assumed his last assignment on July 31, 2015, and retired on August 1, 2019. Selva is a command pilot with more than 3,100 hours in the C-5, C-17A, C-141B, C-37, KC-10, KC-135A and T-37.

Darren Wayne McDew is a retired United States Air Force general who served as the Commander of United States Transportation Command at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. His previous senior command positions include Commander of Air Mobility Command as a general and Commander, Eighteenth Air Force (18AF) as a lieutenant general. In March, 2019, soon after General McDew's retirement, United States Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao named him as Co-Chair of the Special Committee to Review the Federal Aviation Administration's Aircraft Certification Process. According to a letter from Secretary Chao, the Special Committee is "specifically tasked to review the 737 MAX 800 certification process from 2012 to 2017."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert F. Coverdale</span> United States Air Force general (1930–2020)

Robert F. Coverdale was a lieutenant general in the United States Air Force who served as vice commander in chief, Military Airlift Command, with headquarters at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

Carlton Dewey Everhart II is a retired United States Air Force general, who served as the commander of Air Mobility Command. He was previously Commander, Third Air Force and commanded Eighteenth Air Force. Everhart is a 1983 graduate of Virginia Tech and received his commission through Air Force ROTC. He is a command pilot with more than 4,500 flight hours. Everhart has served in varying aircrew assignments in the C-130E, C-17A and C-21A. Everhart retired effective November 1, 2018 after more than 35 years of active duty service.

Lieutenant General Mark F. Ramsay is a retired United States Air Force officer who served as the Director, Force Structure, Resources and Assessment, on the Joint Chiefs of Staff from August 2012 to October 2015. He concurrently served as the Joint Requirements Oversight Council Secretary and as the Chairman of the Joint Capabilities Board. Prior to that, he served as the commanding general of 18th Air Force from September 2011 to August 2012.

Lieutenant General Robert R. Allardice is a retired United States Air Force officer who last served as the vice commander of Air Mobility Command from September 2011 to September 2013. Prior to that, he served as the commanding general of 18th Air Force from August 2009 to September 2011.

References

↑ "Michael Wooley - Recipient -". valor.militarytimes.com. Retrieved 2023-10-18.

This article includes content from the Official United States Air Force Biography of Michael W. Wooley, which as a work of the U.S. Government is presumed to be a public domain resource.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] "Michael Wooley - Recipient -". valor.militarytimes.com. Retrieved 2023-10-18.

[1]