Michael Bauer, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, is a visiting national defense fellow at The Washington Institute. Previously, he served as commander of the 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron at Ali Base, Iraq, from February 2005 to March 2006. In that capacity, he commanded a combined operations and maintenance C-130 squadron conducting aerial delivery missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also commanded thirty-five U.S. advisory support team instructors training Iraq's first C-130 operators and logisticians on how to properly employ and maintain three Iraqi C-130 aircraft.
Prior to combat command, Col. Bauer served as commander of the 61st Airlift Squadron at Little Rock Air Force Base (AFB) in Arkansas. He also completed a staff tour as executive officer to the combatant commander and deputy combatant commander for U.S. Southern Command in Miami, Florida, from September 2001 to June 2003.
A senior pilot who has flown more than 2,900 hours, Col. Bauer completed 195 combat hours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and served as a C-130 weapons officer, evaluator pilot, and instructor at Dyess and Little Rock AFBs.
He is married to the former Leslie de Goyon from Colorado Springs and has two children: Luke and Tony.
Education: BSHF, U.S. Air Force Academy; MSOM, University of Arkansas; MSAM, Air Force Institute of Technology; MSAS, Air Command and Staff College
