Colonel William G. Holt is the Vice Commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla. He is responsible to the Commander for preparing Air Force special operations forces for missions worldwide in support of Army and Navy special operations forces and USAF counterparts.
The wing's mission includes infiltration, resupply, air refueling, combat aviation advisory, and precision fire support, employing over 80 fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft including the AC-130U, MC-130H/P, CV-22B, U-28A and PC-12. These capabilities support a variety of special operations missions including direct action, foreign internal defense, unconventional warfare, special reconnaissance, personnel recovery, counterterrorism psychological operations and information operations.
Holt was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, and grew up in Alamogordo, N.M. He has spent the majority of his career in special operations aviation assignments. He has deployed extensively in support of combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq and supported humanitarian assistance, and peace-keeping operations worldwide.
EDUCATION
1990 Bachelor of Business Administration in Management, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, N.M.
1998 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2006 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2006 Master's degree in Air and Space Power Employment, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2007 Air War College via correspondence, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2011 Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2011 Master's degree in National Security and Strategic Studies, Newport, R.I.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 1991-Jun 1994, personnel officer and support group executive officer, 319th Support Group, Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D.
2. Jun 1994-Dec 1994, squadron section commander, 28th Security Police Sqdn, Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.
3. Dec 1994-Feb 1996, student, undergraduate pilot training, 8th Flying Training Squadron, Vance Air Force Base, Okla., and Training Squadron 31, Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, Texas
4. Feb 1996-May 2004, AC-130U evaluator pilot, flight commander, and assistant operations officer, 4th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
5. May 2004-Jul 2005, T-44 instructor pilot and international student military liaison, Training Squadron 31, Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, Texas
6. Jul 2005-Jun 2006, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
7. Jun 2006-Dec 2006, Chief, Weapons and Tactics Branch, HQ Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
8. Jan 2007-Oct 2007, Chief, Wing Safety, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
9. Oct 2007-Jul 2008, Operations Officer, 19th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
10. Jul 2008-Jun 2009, Commander, 319th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
11. Jul 2010-Sep 2011, student, then SOF Chair assistant, Naval War College, CNW, Newport, R.I.
12. Sep 2011-Sep 2012, Commander, Combined Joint Special Operations Air Component, Special Operations Command Central
13. Oct 2012-present, Vice Commander, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: 4100 (700+ combat)
Aircraft Flown: T-37, T-44, C-130E, AC-130U, PC-12, U-28A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Flying Cross with valor device
Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Combat Action Medal
Gallant Unit Citation
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant January 1991
First Lieutenant January 1993
Captain January 1995
Major February 2002
Lieutenant Colonel December 2006
Colonel September 2011
(Current as of October 2012)