Wing commander nominated for brigadier general Published Dec. 17, 2010 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- Col. Michael Plehn, 1st Special Operations Wing commander, has been nominated Dec. 14 by the President of the United States for promotion to the rank of brigadier general. Colonel Plehn assumed command of the 1st SOW June 7. As wing commander, he is responsible for preparing Air Force special operations forces for missions worldwide in support of U.S. Army and U.S. Navy special operations forces and Air Force counterparts. The wing's mission includes infiltration, resupply, air refueling, combat aviation advisory and precision fire support, employing more than 74 fixed and rotary-wing aircraft. Prior to his current assignment, the U.S. Air Force Academy graduate served as a Chief of Staff of the Air Force Fellow in Washington, D.C. In previous assignments, Colonel Plehn has served as a flight commander, Wing Electronic Warfare Officer, operations group executive officer and on the staff at Air Force Special Operations Command headquarters. At the Pentagon, he served on the Air Staff as a strategic planner and as speechwriter to the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force. He also has served joint assignments at Headquarters, European Command and the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization. Colonel Plehn is a master navigator with more than 2,000 hours, including more than 330 combat hours, primarily as an Electronic Warfare Officer on the AC-130 gunship. He has flown more than 80 missions supporting operations over Bosnia, Somalia, Haiti and Afghanistan.