Donald C. Wurster
Encyclopedia
Air Force Special Operations Command
Air Force Special Operations Command is the Special Operations component of the United States Air Force and the US Air Force component command to the United States Special Operations Command , a unified command located at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida...
, Hurlburt Field
Hurlburt Field
Hurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
, FL. The command is a major command of the U.S. Air Force and the Air Force component of U.S. Special Operations Command. AFSOC provides Air Force Special Operations Forces for worldwide deployment and assignment to unified combatant commanders. The command has approximately 12,900 active-duty, Reserve, Air National Guard and civilian professionals.
Life
Born in Washington, DC, Wurster was commissioned in 1973 upon graduation from the United States Air Force AcademyUnited States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
. In 1974, he completed undergraduate helicopter training at Fort Rucker
Fort Rucker
Fort Rucker is a U.S. Army post located mostly in Dale County, Alabama, United States. It was named for a Civil War officer, Confederate General Edmund Rucker. The post is the primary flight training base for Army Aviation and is home to the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence and...
, Alabama. He commanded special operations forces at the squadron, group, wing and subunified command level, and he served as commander of all U.S. forces assigned to Joint Task Force-510 during Operation Enduring Freedom - Philippines. Wurster was Deputy Director, Center for Special Operations, USSOCOM from May 2004 to February 2006.
General Wurster is a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours, including assignments in both rescue and special operations.
His Brother Charles D. Wurster
Charles D. Wurster
]Charles D. Wurster is a retired Vice Admiral in the United States Coast Guard who last served as the Commander, Pacific Area and Commander, Defense Force West...
retired in 2008 as a Vice Admiral in the US Coast Guard. The Wurster family has a record of military service dating back to the Revolutionary War. As three-star flag officers, the brothers hold the highest rank of anyone in their family. Their father, retired USAF Colonel Charles Wurster, was a F-51 and F-80 (P-80) pilot with the 36th Fighter Squadron
36th Fighter Squadron
The 36th Fighter Squadron is part of the 51st Fighter Wing at Osan Air Base, South Korea. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting air superiority missions.-Mission:...
in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and became one of only three pilots to score more than one “kill” in all of 1950.
Education
- 1973 Bachelor of Science degree, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
- 1982 Distinguished graduate, Squadron Officer SchoolSquadron Officer SchoolSquadron Officer School , is a five-week long Professional Military Education course for U.S. Air Force Captains. It fulfills the U.S. Air Force's requirement for primary developmental education . SOS is based at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, and the in-residence version of the course is taught there...
, Maxwell AFB, Ala. - 1983 Master of Arts degree, Webster UniversityWebster UniversityWebster University is an American non-profit private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Webster University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools...
, St. Louis, Mo. - 1987 Distinguished graduate, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
- 1994 Air War CollegeAir War CollegeThe Air War College is a part of the United States Air Force's Air University, headquartered at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. Air University's higher headquarters is Air Education and Training Command headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. The Air War...
, by correspondence - 1997 Industrial College of the Armed ForcesIndustrial College of the Armed ForcesThe Industrial College of the Armed Forces is a U.S. military educational institution tasked with preparing military officers and civilian government officials for leadership and executive positions in the field of national security...
, Fort Lesley J. McNairFort Lesley J. McNairFort Lesley J. McNair is a United States Army post located on the tip of a peninsula that lies at the confluence of the Potomac River and the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. To its west is the Washington Channel, while the Anacostia River is on its south side...
, Washington, D.C. - 2004 National Security Leadership Course, Syracuse New York
- 2009 Leadership at the Peak, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Assignments
- June 1973 - July 1974, student, undergraduate helicopter training, Fort RuckerFort RuckerFort Rucker is a U.S. Army post located mostly in Dale County, Alabama, United States. It was named for a Civil War officer, Confederate General Edmund Rucker. The post is the primary flight training base for Army Aviation and is home to the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence and...
, Ala. - July 1974 - March 1975, student, HH-3E Jolly Green Giant training, Hill AFB, Utah
- March 1975 - May 1976, HH-3E pilot, Detachment 13, 41st Rescue and Weather Reconnaissance Wing, Osan Air BaseOsan Air BaseOsan Air Base , is a United States Air Force facility located in the Songtan section of Pyeongtaek City, South Korea, south of Seoul. Despite its name, Osan AB is not within Osan City, which is to the north. The base is the home of the Pacific Air Forces' 51st Fighter Wing, and a number of tenant...
, South Korea - May 1976 - July 1979, HH-3E instructor pilot, 71st Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
- July 1979 - November 1980, inactive Air Force Reserve, Lowry AFB, Colo.
- November 1980 - December 1983, HH-3E evaluator pilot, 1550th Aircrew Training and Test Wing, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
- December 1983 - July 1986, weapon systems program manager for rescue and special operations forces, Aircraft Acquisition Branch, Headquarters Military Airlift Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
- July 1986 - June 1987, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
- June 1987 - July 1989, MH-60G Pave Hawk assistant operations officer, 55th Special Operations Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla.
- July 1989 - August 1991, program element monitor for rescue and special operations forces, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
- August 1991 - July 1994, operations officer, then MH-53J Pave Low IIIE commander, 21st Special Operations Squadron21st Special Operations SquadronThe 21st Special Operations Squadron is a unit within the 352d Special Operations Group , United States Air Force, United States European Command, and was based at Royal Air Force base RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, eastern England.-Mission:...
, Royal Air Force Woodbridge and Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Alconbury, England - July 1994 - July 1996, assistant for electronics, communications and special programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict, Forces and Resources, Washington, D.C.
- July 1996 - July 1997, student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNairFort Lesley J. McNairFort Lesley J. McNair is a United States Army post located on the tip of a peninsula that lies at the confluence of the Potomac River and the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. To its west is the Washington Channel, while the Anacostia River is on its south side...
, Washington, D.C. - July 1997 - September 1997, MH-53J requalification, 551st Flying Training Squadron, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
- September 1997 - June 1998, Commander, 16th Operations Group, Hurlburt FieldHurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
, Fla. - June 1998 - July 1999, Commander, 16th Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt FieldHurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
, Fla. - October 1999 - October 2000, Inspector General, U.S. Transportation Command and Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
- October 2000 - February 2003, Commander, Special Operations Command, PacificSpecial Operations Command, PacificThe Special Operations Command, Pacific, known as SOCPAC, is a command center of the military of the United States for special forces in the Pacific area.-History:...
, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii - February 2003 - May 2004, special assistant to the Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command, later, Director, Center for Intelligence and Information Operations, USSOCOM, MacDill AFB, Fla.
- May 2004 - February 2006, Deputy Director, Center for Special Operations, USSOCOM, MacDill AFB, Fla.
- February 2006 - November 2007, Vice Commander, Air Force Special Operations CommandAir Force Special Operations CommandAir Force Special Operations Command is the Special Operations component of the United States Air Force and the US Air Force component command to the United States Special Operations Command , a unified command located at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida...
, Hurlburt FieldHurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
, Fla. - November 2007–present, Commander, Air Force Special Operations CommandAir Force Special Operations CommandAir Force Special Operations Command is the Special Operations component of the United States Air Force and the US Air Force component command to the United States Special Operations Command , a unified command located at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida...
, Hurlburt FieldHurlburt FieldHurlburt Field is a U.S. Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the Town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation, and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command , the 1st Special Operations Wing , the...
, Fla.
Flight Information
- Rating: Command pilot
- Flight hours: More than 4,000
- Aircraft flown: AC-130, HH-3E, MC-130, MH-53J, MH-60G, and CV-22 Osprey, PZL M28 & U-28
Major Awards and Decorations
| Defense Superior Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal The Defense Superior Service Medal is a senior United States military decoration of the Department of Defense, awarded to members of the United States armed forces who perform "superior meritorious service in a position of significant responsibility."... with two oak leaf clusters |
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| Legion of Merit Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements... with oak leaf cluster |
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| Defense Meritorious Service Medal Defense Meritorious Service Medal The Defense Meritorious Service Medal is the third-highest award bestowed upon members of the United States military by the United States Department of Defense... |
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| Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal (United States) The Meritorious Service Medal is a military decoration presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969... with four oak leaf clusters |
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| Air Medal Air Medal The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:... |
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| Aerial Achievement Medal Aerial Achievement Medal The Aerial Achievement Medal is a decoration of the United States Air Force which was first created in 1988. The decoration is intended to recognize the contributions of aircrew members who would, otherwise, not be qualified for the award of the Air Medal.... with oak leaf cluster |
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| Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster | |
| Air Force Achievement Medal | |
| Humanitarian Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal The Humanitarian Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States armed forces which was created on January 19, 1977 by President Gerald Ford under... with bronze star |
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| Philippine Legion of Honor Philippine Legion of Honor The Philippine Legion of Honor was established by President Manuel Roxas, through Philippine Army Circular No. 60 dated July 3, 1947. The Philippine Legion of Honor was patterned after the Legion of Merit of the United States of America, and was meant to honor both civilians and members of the... |
Effective Dates Of Promotion
- Second Lieutenant June 6, 1973
- First Lieutenant June 6, 1975
- Captain June 6, 1977
- MajorMajor (United States)In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
February 1, 1986 - Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant Colonel (United States)In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
April 1, 1989 - ColonelColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
June 1, 1996 - Brigadier GeneralBrigadier general (United States)A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
September 1, 2000 - Major GeneralMajor general (United States)In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
October 1, 2004 - Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant General (United States)In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
November 27, 2007
Retirement
Lt. Gen. Wurster retired from the U.S. Air Force on Friday 24 June 2011, handing over command of AFSOC to Lt. Gen. Eric Fiel in a ceremony held at Hurlburt Field.“Lt. Gen. Wurster has been a brilliant and strong leader,” said Adm. Eric Olson, commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command. “He led by always putting people first in the air and on the ground. Today is more than a transfer of authority. We say goodbye to a great leader and friend.
“Gen. Fiel will now bring his own vision,” Olson added. “There will be challenges, but I’ve seen him face challenges before and overcome many obstacles. In the transition from one commander to another, I know (AFSOC) will continue to excel.”
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz presided over the ceremony. “This is a great time to be amongst the Special Operations Squadron,” Schwartz said. “Gen. Wurster will now get to enjoy fishing, hunting and life after command service. This is a new and tremendous chapter for you."