Col Mike Pheneger, U.S. Army (Ret.), U.S. Special Operations Command
OSS '95: Col Mike Pheneger, USA (Ret.), former J-2 U.S. Special Operations Command, for his paradigm-shattering unclassified exposures of our lack of tactical military maps for 90% of the world, and our enormous over-investment in duplicative and contradictory orders of battle.
Colonel Pheneger spent 30 years on active duty as a US Army Intelligence Officer retiring in 1993. He had overseas assignments in Germany, Vietnam, Korea, Panama, and the Middle East. Key assignments include: Commander, US Army Intelligence School (Fort Devens – then part of the National Security Agency’s Cryptologic Training System); Director of Intelligence, US Special Operations Command (MacDill AFB); Deputy Director of Intelligence, US Central Command (MacDill AFB); Commander, 470th MI Group (Panama); G2, Second Infantry Division (Korea), and Director of Operations, 66th MI Brigade (Germany). As Director of Intelligence for USSOCOM, Colonel Pheneger campaigned to end duplicative intelligence production to expand our focus on neglected third-world and low intensity conflict situations that were more likely to require the deployment of US forces. He holds an M.P.A. from Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania, a B.S from Bowling Green State University, and is a graduate of the Command & Staff Course, US Naval War College, and the US Army War College. After military retirement he developed training programs for adult professionals for the University of South Florida’s Professional and Workforce Development Division. He teaches courses on the Bill of Rights, The Constitution, Terrorism and Geo-Politics for learning-in-retirement programs in Tampa and Sarasota. He received the Open Source Solutions’ Golden Candle Award in 1995.
Colonel Pheneger is President of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida. He previously served on the ACLU’s National Board and National Executive Committee. He speaks frequently on issues involving Civil Liberties and National Security and the ethical and constitutional aspects of intelligence collection and operations. He has spoken widely on the USA Patriot Act, torture, Guantanamo, and warrantless wiretapping and has submitted declarations in federal court proceedings supporting the ACLU’s requests for documents under the Freedom of Information Act. He served as an expert witness in a case to enjoin the Tampa Sports Authority from conducting pat-down searches as a condition of attending NFL football games.
