New commander takes reins of 1st SOW's Air Commandos

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Ryan Whitney
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  Colonel Michael Plehn, previously a Chief of Staff of the Air Force fellow, took command of the 1st Special Operations Wing during a change of command ceremony at the Freedom Hangar here June 7.

Lt. Gen. Donald Wurster, Air Force Special Operations Command commander, presided over the ceremony in which Col. Greg Lengyel relinquished his command to the master navigator after nearly two years at the helm of the wing.

"Colonel Plehn, you know this wing and its mission," said General Wurster. "You have all the skills and experience needed to make a difference as the commander of this unique wing, and AFSOC is here to support you and the wing."

The experienced career of the new commander spans 22 years. Of those, eleven have been here at Hurlburt Field, and two have been in command of special operations units. Most recently, Colonel Plehn was selected as one of seven colonels chosen for the inaugural Chief of Staff of the Air Force Fellows program.

"My pledge to the men and women of the 1st SOW is that your leadership, both officer and enlisted, will work tirelessly for you and your families while ensuring Airmen get the guidance, training and resources needed to execute our vital mission, any time, any place," said Colonel Plehn.

As commander, Colonel Plehn will oversee operations of the 1st Special Operations Wing and the Air Commandos assigned to it, ensuring their ability to provide Air Force special operations air power, any time, any place.

"It has been the single greatest honor of my Air Force career to command the men and women of the 1st Special Operations Wing," said Colonel Lengyel. "Some members of the Air Force go their whole career and never get to work with a group of people who refuse to say 'I can't.' I have had the privilege to work with these Airmen every day, and their ingenuity and drive to succeed has amazed me."

In his time as commander, Colonel Lengyel oversaw numerous historic events in the 1st SOW, including the first deployment of CV-22s, emergency relief operations following the earthquake in Haiti in January 2010, and winning the Commander-in-Chief's Installation Excellence award in 2009.

He was selected for promotion to brigadier general, and is being assigned to the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, NATO, in Mons, Belgium, as the executive assistant to the supreme allied commander.