Colonel Michael Suden is currently serving as the Commander, 91st Operations Group, Minot Air Force Base, N.D. He commands a group of three missile squadrons and an operations support squadron, providing nuclear combat capability to the Commander, United States Strategic Command, in support of national objectives. He is responsible for the safe, secure, and reliable operations of 150 Minuteman III ICBMs operated from 15 remote missile alert facilities in support of missile field activities dispersed over 8,500 square miles.
Colonel Suden was commissioned through the Air Force’s Officer Training School in 2002. He is a career Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) officer and has served as missile combat crew commander, evaluator, flight commander, assistant director of operations, director of operations, chief of safety, and squadron commander. He served in Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and completed his joint officer time at USSTRATCOM as an Emergency Action Officer.
Prior to his current position, Colonel Suden was the Air Force Global Strike Command Nuclear Command, Control and Communications (NC3) Liaison Officer to the Air Force Program Executive Officer (AFPEO) for NC3 and the NC3 Integration Directorate, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts.
EDUCATION
2001 Bachelor of Liberal Arts, Sociology, University of Connecticut
2002 Officer Training School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2003 Aerospace Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2010 Master of Aeronautical Science, Embry Riddle University, Daytona, Fla.
2011 Air Command and Staff College (Distance Learning), Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2013 Joint Forces Staff College, Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Norfolk, Va.
2021 Air War College (Distance Learning), Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 2003 -- October 2003, Student, Undergraduate Space & Missile Training & ICBM Missile Initial Qualification Training, 392nd Training Squadron, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
2. November 2003 -- July 2004, Deputy Missile Combat Crew Commander, 400th Missile Squadron, F. E. Warren AFB, Wyoming
3. July 2004 -- November 2005, Deputy Missile Combat Crew Evaluator & Senior Crew Deputy Evaluator, 90th Operations Group, F. E. Warren AFB, Wyoming
4. November 2005 -- October 2007, Missile Combat Crew Commander, Evaluator and Flight Commander, 319th Missile Squadron, 320th Missile Squadron and 90th Operations Group, F. E. Warren AFB, Wyoming
5. October 2007 -- October 2008, ICBM Test Operations Officer, 576th Flight Test Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, California
6. October 2008 – June 2009, Combat Skills Training, Fort Riley Kansas and J3 Training and Liaison Officer, Kandahar, Afghanistan
7. July 2009 -- January 2012, ICBM Flight Test Manager, Maintenance Operations & ICBM Flight Test Flight Commander, 576th Flight Test Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, California
8. January 2012 -- January 2015, Emergency Actions Officer, Chief of Training & Evaluations USSTRATCOM, Offutt AFB, Nebraska
9. January 2015 -- May 2018, Asst Director of Operations, Director of Operations 91st Operations Support Squadron & 742nd Missile Squadron 91st Missile Wing, Minot AFB, North Dakota
10. June 2018 -- May 2019, Chief of Safety, 90th Missile Wing, F. E. Warren AFB, Wyoming
11. May 2019 -- June 2021, Commander, 90th Operations Support Squadron, 90th Missile Wing, F. E. Warren AFB, Wyoming
12. June 2021 -- July 2023, AFGSC NC3 Liaison Officer to AFPEO for NC3 and NC3 Integration Directorate, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts
13. July 2023 -- Present, Student, Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 2012 -- January 2015, Emergency Actions Officer, Chief of Training & Evaluations USSTRATCOM, Offutt AFB, Nebraska, as a major
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal
Army Achievement Medal
Combat Readiness Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with “N” Device
NATO Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF RANK
Second Lieutenant Dec. 20, 2002
First Lieutenant Dec. 20, 2004
Captain Dec. 20, 2006
Major Nov. 1, 2012
Lieutenant Colonel Sep. 1, 2017
Colonel Nov. 1, 2023
(Current as of May 2024)