Slife assumes command of 1 SOW

With mild temperatures and breezy conditions, the Freedom Hangar at Hurlburt Field was cool and comfortable as Col. James Jim Slife assumed command of 1 Special Operations Wing.

Slife relieved Col. Mike Plehn during a change of command ceremony at Hurlburt Field June 29.
Slife joins the Hurlburt team  for the second time; he had previously served as commander of the 20 Special Operations Squadron from July 1992 - July 1995.

The ceremony was rich with tradition and was attended by local officials, community partners and many military commanders both past and present.  The service honored not only the service of the military members but that of their spouses and children as well. Gwendolyn Slife, Slife’s wife, and their four children were welcomed back into the special operations community and thanked for their willingness to serve alongside the colonel.

For more on this story, see the July 7 issue of the Navarre Press or subscribe online.