top of page

Wesley Hester

Air Operations Sector Lead

30+ year air & space operations and intelligence pro spanning USAF, Joint, DHS and NRO postings.  Worldwide and foreign fighter and reconnaissance aviator. Air base commander. SETA and PM with Welkin Associates/CSC, DTI/Kratos, and  ITGGlobal/Wyle.

BACKGROUND:

  • Provided support to DHS Office of Science and Technology (S&T) for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) integration and future air traffic control airspace command and control architectures

  • Coordinated DHS intelligence requirements for UAV support with DHS Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations Center (AMOC) at Riverside, California

  • Developed position papers for the DHS Under Secretary for Intelligence, on specific reconnaissance platform recommendations in support of Intelligence Community (IC) program funding decisions.

  • Directed aircraft and air-to-air/ground munitions modeling and simulation for program analysis, budget, and management of all fighter, bomber, tanker, Airborne Warning and Control (AWACs) and munitions for the Air Force at Air Combat Command’s Studies and Analysis Division

  • Supported ACC’s Airborne Laser (ABL) Program with analysis and scenario integration

  • Lead project officer for United States Space Command’s Space Based Wide Area Surveillance

  • System (SBWASS) – a CONUS and fleet air defense warning and tracking system

  • NORAD Air Defense aircrew and planner; Elmendorf Air Force Base Alaska, Homestead Air Force Base Florida; multiple soviet and counter drug engagements

  • Air Staff representative to DOD for the first Intelligence Bottom Up Review (IBUR)

  • Deputy Commander Joint Warfare Analysis Center (JWAC) Dahlgren VA; JWAC part of Joint Staff (J-38) then transferred to United States Joint Forces Command

  • Air Operations Officer, United States Space Command

  • Operations Officer, F-4 Technical Assistance Field Team, Cairo Egypt (Joint Duty Assignment)

    • Planned/stood air defense alert with Egyptian Air Force at Aswan for imminent air threat to dams

  • Detailed to Joint Staff during first DOD Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR)

  • Unmanned Warfare and ISR Platform Experience:

    • WB-57/U-2

    • MQ-1B Predator

    • MQ-8 Fire Scout

    • RF-4C

    • RQ-4B Global Hawk

    • MQ-9 Reaper UAS

    • USCG - all ISR inc. Scan Eagle

    • CBP - all ISR inc. Secure Border

 

EDUCATION AND TRAINING:

  • Program Management Training (PMP)

  • Graduate, USAF Air War College

  • Graduate, USAF Space Operations Course

  • MA, Political Science, Auburn University, Montgomery, Alabama

  • Graduate, USAF Fighter Weapons Instructor School, Nellis AFB, Nevada

  • Bachelor of Science, US Air Force Academy

 

bottom of page