Chuck Wilson

Charles Paul Wilson II (born November 22, 1953) is a retired United States Air Force colonel who is notable for his work in political-military affairs, national security policy, defense acquisition, and business development.

He commanded four different military units at the squadron and wing organizational levels.

Wilson performed operational testing of the prototype S1034 pressure suit and flew the first operational mission of the Lockheed U-2S spy plane.

He is a rated US Air Force command pilot with over 3,800 flight hours.

After retiring from the Air Force, Wilson worked as a business executive in the aerospace industry.

He is a docent at the National Air and Space Museum, author, and a frequent military aviation speaker.

Wilson is active in veterans' affairs and has made significant contributions including serving in leadership roles of increasing responsibility.

Wilson was born November 22, 1953, in Indianapolis, Indiana and was the first of three children born to Charles Wilson Sr. and Mary Wilson.

He grew up in Indianapolis where his father was a World War II combat veteran and an engineer for General Motors Corporation and his mother was a homemaker.

Wilson went to Saint Michael's Grade School and graduated from North Central High School.

Wilson also graduated from Culver Military Academy summer schools.

He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Indiana University Bloomington.

While at Indiana University, Wilson worked at United Parcel Service (UPS) at night unloading trucks, sorting packages, and was promoted into UPS management.

Instead, Wilson was commissioned a second lieutenant, and in 1977, received orders to Port Austin Air Force Station in Michigan where he was posted as the chief of administration and personnel.

In 1980, Wilson was selected as commander of the 6510th Air Base Group (ABG) Headquarters Squadron, responsible for base services including personnel, public affairs, and security, where he achieved the Air Force Flight Test Center's "Executive Officer of the Year" award.

Wilson was subsequently selected for Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) at Reese Air Force Base, Texas.

After completing UPT, Wilson was assigned to fly the KC-135Q Stratotanker that refueled the SR-71 Blackbird.

The Q-model KC-135 aircraft was specially configured to dispense the JP-7 fuel required by the SR-71.

Later, Wilson earned a Master of Science degree from Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University (1985), graduated from the United States Army Command and General Staff College, the Armed Forces Staff College (now the Joint Forces Staff College), the Air War College, and was the 1997 National Defense Fellow and author of Strategic & Tactical Air Reconnaissance in the Near East.

During his freshman year at Indiana University, Wilson, entered the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) as a pilot candidate and completed the Air Force flight instruction program with a private pilot license.

With the drawdown of US forces in Vietnam, Air Force pilot production was minimized with AFROTC pilot candidate slots for active duty virtually eliminated.

In 1986, Wilson was selected to fly the Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady, a high altitude reconnaissance aircraft.

During the Cold War, he served on multiple operational deployments flying missions over contested areas of the world.

Wilson advanced to flight instructor in the U-2 and in 1993 commanded the 4402nd Reconnaissance Squadron (Provisional), known as the Desert Dragons, at Taif Air Base, Saudi Arabia.

A provisional squadron is one created for a limited time to accomplish a specific mission.

The 4402nd was formed to continue reconnaissance operations over Iraq after the end of the 1991 Gulf War in order to ensure compliance with United Nations (UN) resolutions.

U-2s from the 4402nd flew Olive Branch missions to provide imagery for the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) that searched for evidence of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.

The Iraqi government did not approve of these overflights, and Wilson's first U-2 mission for the UN was targeted by Iraqi anti-aircraft weapons.

The U-2s operating in-theater at this time had outdated defensive capabilities.

Wilson's mission report was instrumental in obtaining funding for the "Band Aid" upgrades to the U-2's defensive systems.

The U-2 flies at altitudes where the air pressure is too low for an unprotected person to survive.

During his tour with the 4402nd, Wilson performed operational testing of the prototype S1034 pressure suit manufactured by the David Clark Company to evaluate its suitability in the U-2.

In 1995, Wilson was assigned command of the 5th Reconnaissance Squadron, known as the Blackcats, that operated from Osan Air Base, South Korea.

The squadron received the U-2S with an upgraded General Electric F118-101 engine that provided significant weight and fuel savings over the previous Pratt & Whitney J75 engine.

On October 20, 1995, Wilson flew the first U-2S operational mission.

Under Wilson's leadership, the 5th Reconnaissance Squadron received the 1995 Lockheed Advanced Development Corporation (Skunkworks) "Hughes Trophy," distinguishing the unit as the best reconnaissance squadron in the 9th Reconnaissance Wing that year.

The 5th RS was also nominated for the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.

Promoted to colonel in 1997, Wilson was assigned as the commander of the Air Force Command and Control Training and Innovation Center (AFC2TIC) at Hurlburt Field, Florida.

The center of excellence was renamed as the Air Force Command and Control Training and Innovation Group (AFC2TIG) in April 1999 and renamed again in 2004 as the 505th Command and Control Wing.

Wilson's organization re-engineered airpower command and control (C2) at the operational level of war.