The U.S. Air Force has confirmed that Command Chief Master Sergeant Anthony Green has been relieved of his duties as the senior enlisted leader of Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), following a decision by the organisation’s commander, Lieutenant General Mike Conley.
The dismissal, effective 14 April, was announced in a brief statement citing a “loss in confidence in his ability to fulfil his duties.” No further details were provided.
AFSOC is the United States’ elite air component responsible for special operations missions around the globe. It provides specialised air support for counter-terrorism, precision strike, and intelligence operations, often in close coordination with ground-based special forces.
Command Chief Master Sergeant is the highest enlisted rank within a U.S. Air Force command, responsible for advising senior officers and leading the command’s enlisted personnel.
In a statement, the command said: “AFSOC is committed to the welfare of our Airmen and maintaining good order and discipline, which is necessary to preserve the trust placed in us to execute our critical global missions.”
No interim replacement for Chief Green has been announced at this time.
AFSOC, headquartered at Hurlburt Field in Florida, is responsible for overseeing all U.S. Air Force special operations forces, including units stationed at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico, RAF Mildenhall in the UK, and Kadena Air Base in Japan. The command plays a critical role in enabling U.S. global missions, particularly in austere or contested environments.
While no further details about the cause of Green’s removal have been disclosed, the command stressed its commitment to maintaining discipline and trust in order to ensure mission readiness.
Green had served in the U.S. Air Force since 1995, originally working as a maintenance technician on C-130s and other specialised aircraft. Over his career, he held a variety of roles including flying crew chief, combat aviation advisor, and senior enlisted advisor. He assumed the top enlisted post at AFSOC in May 2023.
At the time, Green reflected on the ethos of the command’s personnel, known as Air Commandos. “It’s not the planes. It’s not the cool kits,” he said during his change of responsibility ceremony. “It’s what we’re called to do. It’s the mission. It’s the people. It’s the team.”
