Go Bold #21: Stories from the Cockpit: USAF Colonel (Ret) Jon Wheeler

Our guest today is Colonel (Ret) Jon "Press" Wheeler, a highly qualified fighter pilot and senior leader who flew with the United States Air Force (USAF).Colonel Wheeler received his commission from the United States Air Force Academy in 1996, and attended undergraduate pilot training at Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma.Colonel Wheeler flew the F-16 Fighting Falcon for most of his career. He served with fighter squadrons that were stationed in the United States, and in South Korea, and he flew combat missions in the Middle East.Colonel Wheeler was one of the first cadre of pilots to develop and train to use the F-16 in support of Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) missions. Those "Sandy" missions are typically done with the support of the A-10 Warthog (which we focused on in Episodes 9 and 10).Colonel Wheeler was one of the elite few who were selected to be part of the initial instructor pilot cadre for the F-35 Lightning II fighter in the USAF.His most senior assignments were as Vice Commander of the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base in the Republic of Korea; and as Wing Commander of the 33rd Fighter Wing, which is a tenant at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, and is home to the first F-35 training wing under the Air Education and Training Command (AETC), which focuses its efforts on training the next generation of Airmen to prepare them for their future in the Combat Air Forces.Throughout his career, Colonel Wheeler has had a penchant for training, so our discussion focuses on his experiences and his approach to training new fighter pilots, and his approach to leadership.We hope you enjoy this episode.Go Bold!