Lt. Col. Ian Wolfe, USAF (Ret)
Special to the NEWS
MEXICO, MO—San Benito native Lt. Col. Ian Wolfe, USAF (Ret), was recently inducted into the Missouri Military Academy (MMA) Hall of Fame for Distinguished Military Service. Members of the MMA Alumni Hall of Fame have shown a strong commitment to duty, honor and achievement, according to a MMA media statement.
MMA is an all-male college preparatory boarding school for grades 7-12, located in Mexico, Missouri. The academy’s mission is to provide a structured and disciplined educational environment that prepares young men for success, said MMA officials.
Wolfe began his five-year stay at MMA in 1986, which is where his flying career took off after winning one of two aviation scholarships that led him to his first-ever solo flight in 1991. Upon graduation from MMA,
Wolfe earned his degree in engineering from Texas A&M University, where he also received his commission as a naval officer. He spent 14 years in the Navy as a naval aviator and was then selected for an inter-service transfer to the Air Force Special Operations Command, according to MMA.
Wolfe served seven years as a special operations pilot, air commando to the elite 6th Special Operations Squadron as a foreign internal defense (FID) professional. In addition to conducting FID missions, Wolfe provided watch for the elite forces on the ground as a tactical air warden, controlling the airspace over the battlefield.
Most of his missions were flown over Afghanistan, resulting in the seizure of more than 300 high-value individuals, which impacted strategic-level national defense objectives. His actions assisted with the eradication of a ringleader responsible for 60% of the improvised explosive device (IED) production in northern Afghanistan; during that mission, he was directly responsible for saving the lives of two American soldiers.
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