The top enlisted leader for the 20,000-person Air Force Special Operations Command was relieved of duty for “loss in confidence in his ability to fulfill his duties,” according to a statement released by AFSOC officials.
An AFSOC spokesperson told Task & Purpose that Command Chief Master Sgt. Anthony Green was fired Monday as the command chief and reassigned outside of AFSOC headquarters at Hurlburt Field, Florida, pending the outcome of an investigation. Officials would not comment on the nature of the investigation.
AFSOC commander Lt. Gen. Mike Conley relieved Green, the official said.
As the command chief master sergeant, Green was the senior advisor to Conley on policies and matters related to enlisted airmen’s professional and personal lives in the command.
A memo written by Conley and distributed AFSOC-wide said he had made the move “after careful consideration of the circumstances.”
An AFSOC official confirmed the memo’s authenticity to Task & Purpose. The memo was first posted to the popular Air Force amn/nco/snco Facebook page.
“As airmen, we are entrusted with incredible responsibilities and held to the highest standards of conduct,” the memo said. “Upholding these standards is non-negotiable, and maintaining good order and discipline is fundamental to who we are.”
A command chief master sergeant in the Air Force is a duty assignment held by airmen with the rank of chief master sergeant. Command chiefs serve as senior advisors to commanders in the upper echelons of Air Force command structures. Green’s role was one of the most senior in the Air Force as one of 11 chiefs at the top of each of the service’s 11 major commands.
Green entered the Air Force in 1995, according to his official biography. He spent his early years in the service as a maintenance technician on the C-130 and various other non-standard aircraft within AFSOC. He served as a flying crew chief — a specially selected mechanic who accompanies planes on long missions — as well as a combat aviation advisor, maintenance superintendent, and senior enlisted advisor.
Green took over the position as AFSOC’s command chief in May 2023 in a ceremony at Hurburt Field during which he spoke on the title of “Air Commandos” used by AFSOC personnel.
“[The meaning of Air Commando] is not the planes. It’s not the cool kits,” said Green, according to an Air Force release on the ceremony. “It’s what we’re called to do. It’s the mission. It’s the people. It’s the team.”
AFSOC oversees all of the Air Force’s special operations personnel and equipment across five wings at Hurlburt, Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico and RAF Mildenhall in England, along with units at Kadena Air Base, Japan.
The 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field and the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, are composed of specialized aircraft to support special operations worldwide. Together, the wings operate AC-130J/W, MC-130H, CV-22 and U-28A, MQ-9 and C-146A aircraft.