General Wooley tapped for Order of the Sword Published June 15, 2007 By Chief Master Sgt. Gary Emery AFSOC Public Affairs HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- Air Force Special Operations Command's top Air Commando was recognized Sunday by his enlisted force at Hurlburt Field with an invitation to become only the sixth recipient of the AFSOC Order of the Sword. Lt. Gen. Michael W. Wooley, AFSOC commander, was obviously moved and surprised by the invitation, which he received as he prepared to board an aircraft at base operations. The invitation was presented by Chief Master Sgt. Michael Gilbert, AFSOC's command chief, and a group of the command's non-commissioned officers. "This is an incredible honor," the general said of the award, which recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the Air Force enlisted corps. "I'm just speechless." "General Wooley is exactly the kind of leader this form of recognition was designed to honor," Chief Gilbert said. "It wasn't two or three particular decisions he made or programs he's started. More than anything, it is his genuine, personal and clearly deep concern for his people that most strikes everyone he comes in contact with." The decision to honor General Wooley was by popular acclaim, Chief Gilbert said. "We had enlisted men and women from all levels across the command, even people from other commands and retirees coming up on the net strongly urging we do this." One of those enthusiastic supporters was Master Sgt. Doug Leathem from the 6th Special Operations Squadron. "I met General Wooley when he was the 3rd Air Force commander at RAF Mildenhall and I was on the base POW-MIA committee," Sergeant Leathem said. "A couple of years later I ran into him here at the dry cleaners, and he remembered me and what I had done," he said. "That's very cool."