IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 16, 2007
CONTACT: Gordon Ovenshine:
724.738.4854

gordon.ovenshine@sru.edu

Slippery Rock University graduate earns promotion to brigadier general 

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Michael Callan, a 1981 Slippery Rock University graduate, has been promoted to Air Force brigadier general. The Meadville native, a pilot, commands the Air Force Special Operations Forces at Hurlburt Field, Fla.

             Callan joined the Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at SRU to achieve his dream of becoming a pilot, saying, “The only thing I wanted to do was fly.”

            “I remember walking to class in my uniform and getting stares from bystanders, but that was immaterial to achieving my goal,” he said.

            After receiving his degree in mathematics and commission as a second lieutenant, Callan attended undergraduate pilot training in Mississippi. 

            His job has taken him from Arkansas to England and many places in between, but he hasn’t forgotten his roots. “I’m very proud to have attended Slippery Rock University. It was a great experience, and I still think of it fondly,” he said.

            The Air Force Special Operations Command conducts global missions such as the application of firepower, infiltration and re-supply of special operations forces and refueling of special operations aircraft. He has 200 people under his command.

            Callan, trained in combat aviation, uses the HC-130P/N as his primary aircraft. It extends the range of combat search and rescue helicopters to providing air refueling in hostile or contested airspace. He has more than 4,300 flying hours in 16 different aircraft. 

            Callan has also served in a number of flying and staff positions including instructor and flight examiner pilot. His decorations include the Defense Superior Service, Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star medals.

Slippery Rock University is Pennsylvania’s premier public residential university. Slippery Rock University provides students with a comprehensive learning experience that intentionally combines academic instruction with enhanced educational and learning opportunities that make a positive difference in their lives.