BIOGRAPHY

                                 Colonel Lon Holtz

 

Prior to military retirement Colonel Lon Holtz served as the Vice Wing Commander and Chief of Staff of the 474^th Tactical Fighter Wing at Nellis AFB, Nevada.

 

Lon enlisted in the Wisconsin Air National Guard in 1955 and served as a Security Specialist (special investigations) before his transfer to the active Air Force in 1958.  Here he served as an aircraft mechanic and crew chief on KB-50J’s in Yokota Japan until his selection to attend the Aviation Cadet program (Navigator) in 1959.  Upon graduation and commissioning, he served as a combat crew member on KC-135’s at Atlus AFB, Oklahoma.  In 1966, he was selected for pilot training and received his wings and assignment to an F-4 Replacement Training Unit at George AFB, California in 1967. During this training, he was selected to attend A-37 Training which led to his first combat tour flying 350 missions. He returned to Williams AFB, Arizona as a T-37 Flight Commander and later as Chief of Student Training in both the T-37 and T-38 aircraft before volunteering for a second combat tour in 1972.  After re-currency training in the F-4 at Luke AFB, he was assigned to the 34^th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Korat RTAFB, Thailand completing another 100 missions and a confirmed Mig Kill before reassignment to PACAF Headquarters Hawaii in Fighter Operations.  In 1976, he returned to George AFB and became an Instructor Pilot in the F-4E prior to reassignment to the new F-4G Wild Weasel aircraft undergoing FOT&E where he served as Detachment Commander at Nellis AFB, Nevada. In 1979, he was selected to serve as Special Assistant to the Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Central Europe (AFCENT) where he wrote the AFCENT Survivability/Vulnerability of Command and Control Facilities and became Chief of Offensive Air operations for all of Central Europe. In 1983, he returned to Nellis AFB and served as a Red Flag Operation officer until his selection as Vice Commander of the 554 Operational Support Wing and later the 474^th Tactical Fighter Wing flying F-16s.  He ended 32 years of military service in February 1987 and began a civilian career as Director of Aviation for Wickes Companies, ARCO Oil Company, MBNA America Bank, and Aetna Health care flying and responsible for worldwide operations in Challengers, Hawker 700s, Gulfstream IVs, and Falcon 2000s. His final retirement was in 1999.

 

EDUCATION:

 

1964, Squadron Officer School

1974, Air Command and Staff College

1975, Bachelor of Science degree in business administration, Chaminade University, HI

1975, Industrial College of the Armed Forces

1984, Air War College

 

ASSIGNMENTS:

 

1.         1955-1959 - enlisted service in the Air National Guard and Air Force as a Security Specialist and Aircraft Mechanic respectively

2.         1959-1960 - Aviation Cadet Training (Navigator, 60-17N) Harlingen AFB, TX

3.         1960-1966 - Combat Crew member, KC-135, 96^th. Air Refueling Squadron, Altus AFB, OK

4.         1966-1967 - student, undergraduate pilot training, Williams AFB, Arizona

5.         Aug 1967- Feb 1968 – student F-4 Operational Training, 68^th Tactical Fighter Squadron, George AFB, CA

6.         Feb 1968 - Mar 1968 – student A-37 training, England AFB, LA

7.         Apr 68- Apr 69 – A-37 pilot, 604^th. Special Operations Squadron, Bien Hoa Air Base, Republic of Vietnam

8.         May 69 – Aug 69 –Instructor Pilot training course (T-37), Perrin AFB, TX

9.         Aug 69 – Nov 71 – Flight Commander/Chief of Training, Williams AFB, AZ

10.        Nov 71- May 72 – F-4 Replacement Training, 311^th. TFS, Luke AFB, AZ

11.        May 72- May 73 – pilot, Flight and Mission Commander, F-4E, 34^th. TFS, Korat RTAFB, Thailand

12.        Jun 73- Jul 76 – Air Staff Officer, Fighter Operations, PACAF HQ, HI

13.        Jul 76 – Mar 77 – Instructor Pilot, (F-4) 431^st. TFS, George AFB, CA

14.        Mar 77- Jul 79 – Instructor Pilot, Detachment Commander F-4G Wild Weasel FOT&E, 39^th.Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, George AFB, CA

15.        Jul 79- Jul 83 – Air Staff Officer, Allied Force Central Europe (AFCENT) NATO, Brunnsum, the Netherlands

16.        Jul 83 – Oct 83 – Red Flag Operations staff officer, Nellis AFB, NV

17.        Oct 83- Nov 85 – Vice Commander, 554 Ops Support Wing, Nellis AFB, NV

18.        Nov 85 –Feb 87 – Vice Commander/Chief of Staff, 474^th TFW, Nellis AFB, NV

19.        Feb 87-Sep 99– Director of Aviation, Wickes Companies, Santa Monica, CA,

Atlantic Richfield Oil Companies (ARCO) Dallas, TX, MBNA America, Wilmington DE, and Aetna Health Care, Hartford, CT

 

FLIGHT INFORMATION:

 

Rating:  Command Pilot

Flight Hours:  More than 4,000 (6,000 including civilian time)

Aircraft flown: KC-135, T-41, T-37, T-38, A-37, T-33, F-4C,D,E,G, F-16

 

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:

 

Silver Star

Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters

Defense Meritorious Service Medal

Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters

Air Medal with four silver oak leaf clusters

Joint Service Commendation Medal

Distinguished Presidential Unit Citation

Air Force Outstanding Unit Citation

Combat Readiness Medal

Good Conduct Medal

National Defense Service Medal

Vietnam Service Medal with four bronze stars

Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm and one oak leaf cluster

Republic of Vietnam Campaign medal

 

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:

 

Second Lieutenant Sep 22, 1960

First Lieutenant Mar 22, 1962

Captain Mar 22, 1965

Major Feb 1, 1971

Lieutenant Colonel Sep 22, 1976

Colonel Nov 1, 1982