Major General, USAF (Ret) Mike Kingsley is currently the Owner of Kingsley Consulting, LLC, Senior Vice President of Steel Horse Consulting Services, LLC and an adjunct research member of the Institute for Defense Analyses. Prior to transitioning to the private sector, he served in the United States Air Force for over 32 years and retired in 2016. Maj Gen Kingsley’s last assignment was the Chief of Staff of United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM) where for over two years he directed the daily functions and activities for a team of 1,500 personnel. Under Mike’s direction, USAFRICOM executed over $2 billion in security assistance programs, managed engagements in over 50 countries, and conducted crisis operations. Mike commanded at the squadron, group, wing, and numbered Air Force levels.
While at Air Force Special Operations Command, he was the Director of Operations and subsequently the Vice Commander. He also served in senior staff positions at the US Air Force Headquarters and the Joint Staff. A highly decorated special operations combat pilot, Mike is a highly experienced Command Pilot having flown over 3,200 hours in MH-53J/M, CV-22, HH-3, and UH-1 aircraft. He was the lead pilot in the opening mission of Operation DESERT STORM in 1991 for Task Force Normandy. Leading a flight of AH-64 Apaches the task force destroyed Iraqi early warning radars to commence the air war. He was also the Task Force Commander for the Joint Special Operations Air Component post 9/11 in the opening months of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM in Afghanistan. Throughout his career Mike has served in every major conflict involving US military forces since Panama in 1989.
He previously commanded the 20th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla., and the Aviation Tactics Evaluation Group, Fort Bragg, NC. His most notable joint assignments were as the Director of Strategic Plans and Programs, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C. and Assistant Deputy Director for Special Operations, Operations Directorate, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Mike received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from California State University Sacramento, and Master of Science degree in International Relations from Troy State University. Mike was recently inducted into the Air Commando Association Hall of Fame in 2020. There are currently only 201 inductees since 1969.