Maj. Gen. Richard Comer (USAF-Ret)

Maj. Gen. Richard Comer (USAF-Ret) spent 32 years on active duty, 17 of which were in Special Operations. He flew Air Force helicopters, seeing combat in Southeast Asia, Southwest Asia, the Balkans, and in Operation Just Cause. He commanded at squadron, group, and wing level in Air Force Special Ops and also had a tour as the deputy commander of JSOC. He was the vice commander of AFSOC for more than two years, which included the initial Afghan campaign after 9/11. He served as the first J5, Director of Policy and Planning, for U.S. NORTHCOM when it was created a year later, and finished his career as the Director of the Coalition Coordination Center at CENTCOM.

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MH-53J Pave Low

AFSOC Begins a Long War – Special Operations Forces and Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom: The First 49 Days - Part 7

Editor’s Note: Maj. Gen. Rich Comer, who is well known to our readers, wrote the following piece from memory and personal records, and as such it represents one of the …

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A U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey from the 8th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla., flies a night mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan. U.S. Army photo

AFSOC Year in Review Flight of the Phoenix

Reflecting on his time in Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) Headquarters, Lt. Gen. Donald C. Wurster reminisced about one of the first staff meetings he chaired at the time …

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Malian and Senegalese military forces rehearse infiltration and extraction maneuvers alongside special operations forces and European partner nation military forces with CV-22 Ospreys from the 8th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla., Nov. 12, 2008, as part of the joint training exercise Flintlock in Mali, Africa. The U.S. has been working to boost Mali's defenses. Photo by Sgt. Kieran Cuddihy.

Fighting Global War – Indirectly

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With the prospect of grand scale nation-building projects like Afghanistan and Iraq unlikely in the near future, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said the United States should narrow its focus …

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A CV-22 Osprey multi-mission tilt-rotor aircraft from the 8th Special Operations Squadron takes off after dropping a Deployed Aircraft Ground Response Element (DAGRE) for a simulated tactical evidence collection as part of Exercise Emerald Warrior at Hurlburt Field, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Feb. 3, 2009. The deployment of the CV-22 Osprey to combat was a major milestone for AFSOC. U.S. Air Force photo by SRA Julianne Showalter.

AFSOC 2009-2010 A Steady Vision Guiding Many Changes

Lt. Gen. Donald Wurster is in his third year of his command tour at the Air Force Special Operations Command, AFSOC, and he says very plainly that his top three …

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AFSOC Combat Controllers of the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron talk to aircraft circling Toussaint L'Ouverture International Airport. In the initial days of the relief operations, this table was the de facto control tower and approach control facility for the airport and the hundreds of flights going into and out of it. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Desiree N. Palacios.

Haiti Initial Entry Force

The 7.0-level earthquake in Haiti occurred on the early evening of Jan. 12, 2010, creating havoc in the highest concentrations of the island’s population, being centered near the capital city, …

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STTS students undergoing training at Hurlburt Field, Fla. Today, combat controllers are fully combat ready upon assignment to their units. U.S. Air Force photo by SRA Julianne Showalter.

Hero School

In a time of continuous and unbroken war-fighting, the units in Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) need their newly assigned people to be “combat ready” as soon as possible. …

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DAEGU AIR BASE, Republic of Korea Members from the 320th Special Tactics Squadron freefall over Daegu Air Base, Republic of Korea, after jumping from the back of a 1st Special Operations Squadron MC-130H Combat Talon II March 19. The high altitude, low opening jump training was in preparation for the group's annual operational readiness exercise which affords unit members an opportunity to practice wartime skills necessary for their ability to survive and operate. The 353rd Special Operations Group is the focal point for all U.S. Air Force special operations activities throughout the U.S. Pacific Command theater. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Aaron Cram.

A Banner Year AFSOC 2008-2009

Commander of Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) Lt. Gen. Donald C. Wurster gives his people three prime directives: to employ the force, to take care of AFSOC’s people, and …

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Last mission. U.S. Air Force MH-53 Pave Low helicopters from the 20th Expeditionary Special Operations Squadron in flight during their final combat mission on Sept. 27, 2008. The Pave Low was retired after nearly 40 years of storied service to the Air Force.

Pave Low’s Farewell

The MH-53M Pave Low helicopters of Air Force Special Operations Command flew their last missions supporting combat operations in Iraq on the night of Sept. 27 and 28, 2008. The …

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