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| Information > Biographies > BRIGADIER GENERAL MICHAEL T. PLEHN |
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BRIGADIER GENERAL MICHAEL T. PLEHN
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Brig. Gen. Mike Plehn is the Deputy Director, Special Plans Working Group (SPWG), Headquarters U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM), MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. As the Deputy Director for the SPWG, he leads a team of planners in assessing critical situations and current theater threats, providing clear guidance on military postures in the CENTCOM theater, and detailed analysis for State Department and military courses of action to formulate plans within the Central Command area of responsibility.
General Plehn graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy with military distinction in 1988 with a degree in astronautical engineering. He is a graduate of the School of Advanced Airpower Studies and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force Fellows program. He has served on the Air Staff and at Headquarters, European Command and the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization. In his previous assignment, he was Commander, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
Brigadier General Plehn is a master navigator with more than 2,100 hours, including over 350 combat hours, primarily as an electronic warfare officer on the AC-130 gunship. He has flown missions supporting operations over Bosnia, Somalia, Haiti, Afghanistan, and has commanded special operations units at the squadron, group, and wing levels.
EDUCATION
1984 U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1988 Bachelor of Science in Astronautical Engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1995 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1997 Master of Aeronautical Science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
1999 College of Naval Command and Staff, Newport, R.I.
2000 School of Advanced Airpower Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2003 Air War College (correspondence)
2005 National Defense Fellow, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1988 - July 1989, student, Williams AFB, Ariz.
2. July 1989 - August 1990, specialized undergraduate navigator training, Mather AFB, Calif.
3. August 1990 - November 1994, AC-130H electronic warfare officer, later instructor and evaluator electronic warfare officer and Flight Commander, 16th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
4. November 1994 - May 1996, wing electronic warfare officer, 16th Operations Support Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
5. May 1996 - July 1997, executive officer, 16th Operations Group, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
6. July 1997 - July 1998, aide-de-camp to the commander, HQ AFSOC, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
7. August 1998 - June 1999, College of Naval Command and Staff, Newport, R.I.
8. July 1999 - June 2000, student, School of Advanced Airpower Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
9. July 2000 - February 2001, Team Chief, Aerospace Global Engagement, Directorate of Strategic Planning, HQ US Air Force, Washington, D.C.
10. February 2001 - December 2001, Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force speechwriter, Chief of staff of the Air Force Operations Group, HQ U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
11. December 2001 - March 2002, student, AC-130U Qualification Course, 19th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
12. March 2002 - July 2002, assistant operations officer, 4th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
13. July 2002 - June 2004, Commander, 19th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
14. July 2004 - June 2005, national defense fellow, SDE Student, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, D.C.
15. July 2005 - July 2006, Chief, Joint Interagency Coordination Group, HQ U.S. European Command, Patch Barracks, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany.
16. July 2006 - June 2007, Chief, Directed Studies, Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, Office of the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Arlington, Va.
17. June 2007 - July 2008, Commander, 27th Operations Group, later 27th Special Operations Group, Cannon AFB, N.M.
18. July 2008 - June 2010, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Fellow, Washington, D.C.
19. June 2010 - June 2011, Commander, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
20. August 2011 - present, Deputy Director, Special Plans Working Group, Headquarters Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2005 - July 2006, Chief, Joint Interagency Coordination Group, HQ U.S. European Command, Patch Barracks, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany, as a colonel.
2. July 2006 - June 2007, Chief, Directed Studies, Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, Office of the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Arlington, Va., as a colonel.
3. August 2011-present, Deputy Director, Special Plans Working Group, Headquarters Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla., as a brigadier general.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Master Navigator
Flight Hours: 2,100
Aircraft Flown: AC-130H, AC-130U, U-28A, MQ-1B, F-16D
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Gallant Unit Citation
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with service star
Southwest Asia Service Medal with service star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
NATO Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Government of Kuwait)
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 1, 1988
First Lieutenant June 1, 1990
Captain June 1, 1992
Major Aug. 1, 1998
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 2001
Colonel Aug. 1, 2005
Brigadier General July 22, 2011
(Current as of September 2011)
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