Eric E. Fiel

Lt. Gen. Eric E. Fiel was the commander of Air Force Special Operations Command. The command is the Air Force component of U.S. Special Operations Command. AFSOC provides Air Force special operations forces for worldwide deployment and assignment to unified combatant commanders. The command has approximately 16,000 active-duty, Reserve, Air National Guard and civilian professionals.

General Fiel entered the Air Force in 1981 as a graduate of Officer Training School. He has held a variety of assignments and has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels. Additionally, he has held a variety of staff positions at major command, unified command, Air Staff and Secretary of the Air Force levels. Prior to his current assignment, he was the Vice Commander, Headquarters U.S. Special Operations Command, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

General Fiel has significant experience in combat and leadership positions in major joint contingency operations. He commanded a special operations squadron during Operation Deliberate Force in Bosnia and Operation Noble Anvil in Kosovo operations. From September 2001 to March 2003, he was forward-deployed as the Joint Special Operations Air Component Commander in Operation Enduring Freedom. From May 2006 to April 2008, he was forward-deployed as a Task Force Commander multiple times for operations Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. On January 26, 2011 Fiel was nominated by the Pentagon to replace Donald Wurster as the commander of Air Force Special Operations Command.

AFSOC commander

On June 24, 2011 General Fiel took over Air Force Special Operations Command from General Donald C. Wurster in a ceremony held at Hurlburt Field. “Lt. Gen. Wurster has been a brilliant and strong leader,” said Adm. Eric Olson, commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command. “He led by always putting people first in the air and on the ground. Today is more than a transfer of authority. We say goodbye to a great leader and friend. “Gen. Fiel will now bring his own vision,” Olson added. “There will be challenges, but I’ve seen him face challenges before and overcome many obstacles. In the transition from one commander to another, I know (AFSOC) will continue to excel.” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz presided over the ceremony.

After Fiel assumed command he initiated a re-assessment of AFSOCs combat priorities. As a result, various changes were instituted, including a re-missioning of the MC-130W as the AC-130W gunship for increased capabilities in precision airstrike support, the 24th Special Operations Wing was stood up composed entirely of Special Tactics Squadrons as well as their training squadron. The Special Tactics Squadrons are made up of Special Tactics Officers, Combat Controllers, Combat Rescue Officers, Pararescuemen, Special Operations Weather Officers and Airmen, Air Liaison Officers, Tactical Air Control Party operators, and a number of combat support airmen which comprise 58 Air Force specialties.

• 1980 Bachelor of Science degree in Management, University at Buffalo, N.Y.
• 1984 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
• 1989 Master's degree in Management, Troy State University
• 1992 Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
• 1992 Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
• 2001 Master's degree in strategic studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
• 2005 National Security Management Course, Syracuse University, N.Y.
• 2008 Navy Senior Leader Business Course, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

1. July 1981 - July 1982, student, undergraduate navigator training and electronic warfare officer training, 323rd Flying Training Wing, Mather AFB, Calif.
2. August 1982 - July 1984, MC-130E EWO instructor and executive officer, 8th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
3. August 1984 - July 1985, standardization and evaluation EWO, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
4. August 1985 - August 1986, executive officer, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
5. September 1986 - September 1987, Air Staff Training Program, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, D.C.
6. September 1987 - September 1988, Chief, MC-130E Standardization and Evaluation, Headquarters 23rd Air Force, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
7. September 1988 - September 1989, Chief, Electronic Combat Division, Headquarters 23rd Air Force, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
8. September 1989 - February 1990, executive officer to the Vice Commander, 23rd Air Force, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
9. February 1990 - May 1991, aide-de-camp to the Commander, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
10. June 1991 - June 1992, student, Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
11. June 1992 - September 1992, student, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
12. September 1992 - April 1994, Chief, North Asia Air Defense Division, Joint Intelligence Center Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
13. April 1994 - August 1995, Chief, Crisis Management Division, Joint Intelligence Center Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
14. September 1995 - January 1997, Director of Operations, 18th Flight Test Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
15. February 1997 - September 1999, Assistant Director of Operations, Director of Operations and Commander, 4th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
16. September 1999 - July 2000, Deputy Commander, 16th Operations Group, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
17. August 2000 - June 2001, student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
18. July 2001 - April 2003, Commander, Aviation Tactics Evaluation Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.
19. April 2003 - May 2005, Commander, 58th Special Operations Wing, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
20. June 2005 - December 2005, Director of Operations, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
21. December 2005 - April 2006, Commander, Air Force Special Operations Forces, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
22. April 2006 - April 2008, Deputy Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.
23. May 2008 - September 2009, Director, Center for Force Structure, Requirements, Resources and Strategic Assessments, Headquarters U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
24. October 2009 - June 2010, Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
25. June 2010 - June 2011, Vice Commander, Headquarters U.S. Special Operations Command, Washington, D.C.
26. June 2011 – July 2014, Commander, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.

Joint assignments

1. September 1992 - August 1995, Chief, North Asia Air Defense Division and Chief, Crisis Management Division, Joint Intelligence Center Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, as a major
2. July 2001 - April 2003, Commander, Aviation Tactics Evaluation Group, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C., as a colonel
3. April 2006 - April 2008, Deputy Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C., as a brigadier general
4. May 2008 - September 2009, Director, Center for Force Structure, Requirements, Resources and Strategic Assessments, Headquarters, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla., as a brigadier general and major general
5. October 2009 - June 2010, Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla., as a major general
6. June 2010 - June 2011, Vice Commander, Headquarters U.S. Special Operations Command, Washington, D.C.

• Rating: Master navigator
• Flight hours: More than 2,000
• Aircraft flown: T-43, T-37, MC-130E/H and AC-130A/H/U

• Second Lieutenant July 15, 1981
• First Lieutenant July 15, 1983
• Captain July 15, 1985
• Major October 1, 1991
• Lieutenant Colonel December 1, 1996
• Colonel March 1, 2001
• Brigadier General Nov. 2, 2006
• Major General Dec. 3, 2009
• Lieutenant General June 11, 2010