Q&A: Brigadier General (S) Michael W. Callan

AFSOF Warrior
Providing Special Operations Airmen and Command and Control Elements



Brigadier General (S) Michael W. Callan
Commander, Air Force Special
Operations Forces
Air Force Special Operations Command

Brigadier General (S) Michael W. Callan is the commander, Air Force Special Operations Forces, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla. As the warfighting headquarters for AFSOC, AFSOF is responsible for supporting the U.S. Special Operations Command and AFSOC commander’s strategic, operational and tactical objectives across the full range of military operations. AFSOF works in concert with USSOCOM in directing all Air Force special operations air taskings during contingencies or wartime.

Callan entered the Air Force in 1981 as a Reserve Officer Training Corps graduate. He is a command pilot with more than 4,200 flying hours. He was the assistant deputy director for special operations for the Joint Staff prior to assuming his current duties. He also commanded the 71st Flying Training Wing, Vance Air Force Base, Okla. In addition, he held a number of flying and staff positions to include instructor/flight examiner pilot, USAF and U.S. special operations action officer, and senior military assistant in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy.

Callan’s military awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Aerial Achievement Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Kosovo Campaign Medal with one oak leaf cluster and the NATO Medal.

Interviewed by Editor Rodney Pringle

Q: What is the mission of Air Force Special Operations Forces, the Warfighting Headquarters of Air Force Special Operations Command, and what is its contribution to the global war on terrorism?

A: Fundamentally it is to provide special operations airmen and command control elements in order to execute special operations forces activities throughout the conventional airspace and information operations in support of USSOCOM, the chairman of the joint chiefs and secretary of defense.

For that, our primary mission is command and control. Our job here is to provide organize, train and equip command and control packages to go forward and execute special operations air and conventional air taskings.

On behalf of General Wooley [AFSOC commander], I and my organization are fundamentally responsible for the execution piece of what AFSOC does. So, if it has to do with the GWOT, I am responsible for it, providing the command and control forces as well [as] representing the warfighter to General Wooley upstairs. I am the execution arm of what he does.

Q: What are the challenges that you face in meeting the manning and staffing requirements for AFSOF?

A: The Warfighting Headquarters has been organized and based on the total force concept. Everyday we are working the bits and pieces for both the manpower authorizations as well as the personnel to stand this fairly young organization up. I am sure you know we stood up the organization in December 2005 and it is still a maturing organization. It primarily drafted upon a concept which has future growth—both for manpower as well as equipment. We work everyday on manning and staffing requirements to be able to grow this total force—active, Guard and Reserve—to the size we need to execute those command and control missions.

The sub-piece to that idea day-to-day is trying to make sure that we get into the personnel system to handpick our future AFSOF warriors, and to make sure we have the right mix of experience of those who have been there and done that to assist us in the maturing process.

This is a total force unit from the ground up, where we are employing traditional and IMA [individual mobilization augmentee] reservists on a daily basis. We would not have enough people to do our job without the support of the Air Force Reserve.

Q: How has the current operational tempo affected the planning and use of both fixed and rotary wing aircraft within the fleet?

A: The best way to answer that is, as you are probably aware, we have aircraft that are getting older. The Air Force average age of inventory is around 23 years and getting older daily. The AFSOC fleet is actually leading that stat to the right. Our average aircraft is just over 30 years old. So the demands on keeping flyable and safe airplanes are always balanced against accomplishing the mission.

My job is to present to General Wooley for his consideration tailored AFSOC assets that are able to meet both the combatant commanders mission while at the same time balancing that on something we call ORM [operational risk management], meaning to be able to do this safely so that the aircraft is going to fly, and more importantly, we can return our aircrew and aircraft safely back from the mission.

On the personnel end, it is again an issue of high ops tempo which unfortunately since post 9/11 we’ve been in a growth business here in the SOF world. We’re having to balance the extended TDY and increases in TDYs for most of the AFSOC community along with the personal things that that brings with it. We’re seeing an increase in terms of providing certain base assets to help them function in this time of uncertainty with regards to being away from loved ones. The traditional things on a base like family support, educational opportunities and quality of life programs have to be stepped up to meet these needs.

Q: What are some of the near-term solutions to keep everything flying at the rate you are being asked to sustain?

A: There are near-term solutions centered around some innovative ideas. One of them would be the difference between real aircraft training versus some degree of simulation. Our CV-22, which we are in the midst of bringing onboard, has a mix of approximately 75 percent simulated training and 25 percent actual flying.

We’re investigating a lot of simulation ideas across the spectrum of what AFSOF does. It is being used in terms of joint terminal air control, with regards to being able to practice procedures for calling in close air support when our troops are in contact. In general, we are looking at a variety of weapons systems, all of which have a different mix, and we are evaluating the increased role that simulation can bring to their sustainment issues.

In the end, it comes down to commander involvement, and AFSOC is very, very good about producing mature, seasoned special operations air leaders. From that we are leaving it to them with regard to ideas that are out there in the marketplace that would facilitate crews being trained in their assigned missions in a way that best prepares them for combat employment.

So, simulation is one of the near-term solutions we are exploring vigorously.

Q: Do you have the physical space you need to do field and livefire exercises?

A: Yes. Fundamentally in the panhandle of Florida we’re blessed to have the Eglin Range at Eglin AFB that allows us to control a large degree of both range time as well as the gulf area ranges. Therefore, we have a good mix of overwater and overland ranges that Eglin controls. Over the years they have been very supportive, [and] have allowed a lot of our training to take place.

There is a limited degree of ground activity being conducted and we would like to see that increased.

We would like to be able to work ground and air exercises on their land range specifically to allow ground special operations teams to integrate with our assets and be able pull off good training for combat employment.

Q: What does the addition of Cannon AFB, N.M., mean for AFSOF?

A: The command is very excited about going to Cannon. I am a career MC-130P pilot and I’ve heard about the need for a West Coast base for most of my career. The timing, the logistics, the determination by the secretary of defense over time have not made it conducive to make it a reality. General Brown [USSOCOM commander] and General Moseley [Air Force chief of staff] have recently announced that AFSOC is going to take possession of Cannon AFB and standup a wing there.

As background, the environmental impact study for moving assets is starting now, and will hopefully be completed by October 2007. So, at this time, no specific aircraft or squadrons have been designated to move to Cannon and all expectations to move to Cannon are still considered proposals until the environmental impact statement is complete.

It is going to bring a lot to the table in terms of things that we enjoy here [Hurlburt] that we are going to be able to enjoy in a less dense environment. It also is going to be under direct control of the wing commander at Cannon, and that person is going to be an AFSOC commander.

I would anticipate an increased ground exercise presence to once again train our forces in a much more combined way and allow us to execute our training mission not as a partner in range use but as an owner.

Q: How has information technology been put to use in AFSOF?

A: The best example I can give you is that underneath the Warfighting Headquarters I have one commander—actually I have several commanders working for me—this specific one is called my air and space operations center commander [the air and space operations center is referred to as the AOC]. The AOC is an Air Force construct that is designed to command and control air assets in a theater of operations. I have a colonel who is my AOC commander, and when we stood up the Warfighting Headquarters with the AOC underneath it was determined and supported by the Air Force leadership that we would receive a Tailored Falconer. The Tailored Falconer is the information technology answer to being able to communicate with both our special operations commanders as well as integrate our communications with regards to the big Air Force. So, Tailored Falconer is a primary technology that we need to execute our command and control function.

Q: Have the experiences of the past five or so years pointed out any needed improvements in joint and combined operations with your compatriots in Army and Navy special operations?

A: I wouldn’t say that our experiences pointed out any needed improvements. What I would say is the time reemphasized certain themes which special operations have been known for and will continue to be known for in the GWOT. Namely the ability and the requirement to be able to exercise and train an increasing number of nations in a coalition.

We need to continue to move forward and engage ourselves in training with their SOF such that we leave them both with a capability of their own and independently fight the war on terror and, should the necessity arise, to be able to integrate their operations into ours for GWOT success.

That is a common theme to your question. I would also tell you that because the Marines have recently been directed to join and be part of the U.S. special operations community, the MARSOC [Marine Corps Special Operations Command] has recently been stood up and commanded by a two-star general. His organization is growing by with great Marine support from their leadership, and we in AFSOC need to begin to integrate our operations with the Marine component much more than we have in the past.

Q: How easy is it to communicate between all of the components in a deployed, in-action environment?

A: Fairly quickly! Our concept is that when we deploy special operations air units typically we send them with a degree of comms capability. It obviously includes the standard array of air-to-ground communications necessary to be able to talk to aircraft while at the same time having, through Tailored Falconer and the comms package that they bring, both secure and unsecured communications with various nodes including us back home. They deploy with that quickly and are able to bring it up in a short timeframe.

We have tested this time and time again with regard to realworld movements and have found that our ability to get in contact with our commanders when they do deploy to be quick and efficient.

Q: Where are you in the CV-22 pipeline as far as training and facility stand-up?

A: It was determined by the Air Force leadership with AFSOC support that Kirtland AFB, which has served as the AFSOC schoolhouse for many of our weapon systems, would be the first base to receive the airplane and begin training for both themselves and the student pipeline. That unit is an Air Education and Training Command unit, the 58th Special Operations Wing [SOW]. The CV-22 is somewhat unique in that it takes the basic MV-22 frame and adds some unique SOF equipment to primarily include things such as radar warning receivers, jammer system and a countermeasure system to enhance the aircraft and make it applicable to special operations use.

Currently they have four aircraft. They have one full motion simulator and one partial task trainer. They are supposed to get a second full motion simulator in the spring of next year.

Crews assigned to the 58th SOW will undergo a degree of training with the Marines by deploying out to New River, N.C., and conduct initial training on the MV-22 platform. Once training is complete there, they will return to Kirtland and join up with some of the enlisted crewmembers who will remain at Kirtland for simulator and academic training. When the pilots return, as expected in the February to March 2007 timeframe, they will [be] joined back together and train as a crew.

As a former ops group commander at Kirtland, I know they are very good at what they do and have put a lot of effort into both the simulator piece as well as courseware to make that transition quick.

We are expecting our first CV-22 to arrive at Hurlburt Field in November of this year, assigned to the 8th Special Operations Squadron, which was an MC-130E unit that recently stood down operations in preparation for the new CV-22s.

Q: What new capabilities will the CV-22 bring to AFSOF?

A: I would first like to dispel a rumor and that is that the airplane was bought to replace the MH-53 Pave Low helicopter. It was not.

What the CV-22 will bring us is a distance and speed equivalent that we have never had in the past. It is well-known in the aviation community that this is an airplane that combines both fixed- and rotary-wing capability. Our job is to fully understand through testing and evaluation the ways in which we can take what has primarily been in the helicopter domain, with regard to working with our Special Forces, Rangers and SEALS, and take a tactical hovering capability and be able to deliver that in fixed-wing speed and distance to a forward objective. We are having to rethink the bubble on the ways this airplane is going to be able to deliver shooters from pickup to execution infil in one fell swoop, regardless of distance, regardless of time in ways that we have not enjoyed in the past.

Q: Where do unmanned platforms fit into AFSOF’s current and future plan?

A: For unmanned platforms we have primarily focused on generating two capabilities.

Already active for several years is the 3rd Special Operations Squadron, which is under the 16th SOW here at Hurlburt. We are as a command working to get them additional assets and make that capability more robust. More iron is on the way.

Additionally, within AFSOF, two weeks ago we stood up the 11th Intelligence Squadron with a primary mission to plan, direct and conduct multi-source intelligence, surveillance and recon through ISR tasking to be able to process, exploit and disseminate operations in support if various special operations commanders. We are very excited about this in terms of being able to produce special operations fidelity to disseminate and exploit sensor data that is coming to us for future execution.

Q: Are there any types of unmanned platforms that you currently do not operate that you think have a place in Air Force special operations?

A: Predator has both the MQ-1—the basic model—and the MQ-9 which is an enhancement that brings along other sensor arrays and some offensive capabilities. We are looking at the ways the 3rd SOS is to take the Predator-type weapon systems and decide on the right mix for AFSOC and SOF commanders.

I will tell you that, not within the Warfighting Headquarters, but on General Wooley’s management side they have a technology based directorate that is responsible to him to look at technology under the auspices of both manned and unmanned platforms that will make AFSOC units more capability. I know they are currently working some of these issues.

Q: What will AFSOF look like a year from now? Two years from now?

A: We are about 170 folks, it’s divided up with what I will call an A staff which is responsible for supporting the warfighter across the globe as well as helping the AOC commander execute his mission should he have to deploy command and control assets.

We are looking at FY07 for our number to go just over 200, again primarily helping our AOC commander get organized, trained and equipped teams together. We will be able to deploy tailored packages to equip those elements where those elements will be trained as a team and be able to deploy forward together.

Planned for FY08 is a more than doubling of the organization to just over 500 from which we expect to produce five command and control elements that will be able to deploy four of five C2 assets. The fifth element will actually be a reach-back AOC capability. This structure will allow standardized equipment packages and personnel with an integration capability to be able to communicate with both SOF as well as the Air Force, and integrate hardware, software and trained packages making a very robust organization.

In the end when General Wooley gets a call from General Brown he will be able to look to the Warfighting Headquarters commander and tell us to execute. We immediately would form one of these packages— it’s already ready to deploy, link up with their airlift requirements for their equipment and go out and produce success in short order.

The Warfighting Headquarters is founded on the total force concept so we are looking at primarily some of those command and control elements being reservists. We have a great relationship with the 919th Special Operations Wing [the only special operations wing in the Air Force Reserve] at Duke AFB and are looking at obviously packaging them to assist us in providing personnel to meet our mission. So what you may see is that of the five C2 elements that we are forming, four of which are deployable, there may be one or two of those that might be total reserve capability.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?

A: It is a great opportunity for me to have been selected by General Wooley to be the AFSOF commander. I have the opportunity to work day in day out with not just professionals who are here at headquarters but the entire array of airmen who help General Wooley execute our mission everyday.

I am very excited about the ways in which the Warfighting Headquarters under General Moseley’s guidance has been able to form a standardized template. It has been exciting to have been part of some of the pick-up games in the past but it is more exciting to see a capability on the horizon that upon notification can form trained crews, who understand the equipment that they are using, have deployed and controlled both special operations air, and will be capable of controlling conventional air and be able to do that around the globe.

In the end I am very blessed to be able to work in an organization which prides itself on getting the mission done.

We have an inherent responsibility to take care of our people and their families and we do that very, very well. ♦

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