
Brig. Gen. Michael Conley, who leads U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command's 1st Special Operations Wing, has been appointed to fill a role at the U.S. Space Force. He will serve as vice commander of the USSF's Space Operations Command, from Vandenberg Air Force Base, the Department of Defense said Thursday.
Conley, in his current role, oversees the readiness of USAF special forces for missions across the globe. These missions include precision strike, planning, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and specialized mobility.
The newly appointed USSF officer joined USAF in 1997 as a student pilot, then went on to become a squadron executive officer the following year. Space Operations Command works to organize, train and utilize space forces in support of air and combatant commanders.
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