Col. Hugh “Hoot” Walker currently serves as the Deputy Commander, 20th Fighter Wing, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. The wing's mission is to provide, project, and sustain combat-ready air forces. The wing is responsible for the mission readiness of the 79 aircraft, 18 squadrons, stewardship of Shaw, and the health and welfare of 8,000 active duty Airmen and civilians. Furthermore, the 20th Fighter Wing supports 31,000 local military retirees and 29 geographically separated units across nine states.
Prior to Shaw, Colonel Walker served as the Deputy Executive Officer to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff. In this position, he personally supported the Chairman in his role as the principal military advisor to the President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, and Congress. Col Walker also served as the military deputy for the Joint Staff’s Generative AI Task Force, TF 37-78, where he drove cutting-edge AI adoption across the Joint Staff’s 2,200-person enterprise.
Colonel Walker received his commission in 2004 as a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and earned his pilot aeronautical rating in 2006 from Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. Throughout his career, he has held several key positions, including Chief of Staff of the Air Force Scholar at Princeton University, commander of the F-16 Weapons Squadron at the United States Air Force Weapons School, Commander's Action Group Director for Air Combat Command, and USINDOPACOM Scholar at the National War College. Colonel Walker has also served as an evaluator pilot, joint operational planning expert, joint/coalition integration expert, and as an operational advisor to multiple research labs and government think tanks.
A command pilot with over 1,900 total hours flying the F-16, including 725 combat hours, Colonel Walker has supported contingency operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. He has served in various roles such as Weapons Officer, mission commander, flight leader, and Combined Air Operations Center liaison.
EDUCATION:
2004 Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, United States Air Force Academy, CO
2004 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
2010 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
2011 United States Air Force Weapons School, Nellis Air Force Base, NV
2012 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
2017 Master of Public Policy, CSAF Scholar, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
2021 Master of National Security Strategy, USINDOPACOM Scholar, National War College, Washington D.C.
2022 Machine Learning in Business Course, MIT Sloan School of Management and MIT Computer Science and AI Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
2023 AI for National Security Leaders, MIT Sloan School of Management and MIT Computer Science and AI Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
ASSIGNMENTS:
1. June 04 - April 05, Training officer, 32nd Air Refueling Squadron, McGuire AFB, NJ
2. April 05 - May 06, Student, undergraduate pilot training, Columbus AFB, MS
3. May 06 - May 07, Student, F-16 training, Kelly AFB, TX
4. May 07 - May 08, Standardization and Evaluation Liaison Officer, 80th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea
5. May 08 - December 10, Instructor pilot, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation Flight Examiner, 23rd and 480th Fighter Squadrons, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany (September 2009 – February 2010, Assistant Chief of Weapons, 23rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Balad Air Base, Iraq)
6. January 11 - June 11, Student, 16th Weapons Squadron, United States Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, NV
7. July 11 - August 13, Weapons Officer, Chief Instructor, and Flight Commander, 77th Fighter Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C. (July 2011 – September 2011, 77th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Aviano Air Base, Italy) (October 2012 – April 2013, 77th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan)
8. August 13 - June 16, Director of Operations and Instructor, 16th Weapons Squadron, United States Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, NV
9. July 16 – June 17, Air Force Fellow and Graduate Student, Princeton University NJ
10. July 17 – July 19, Commander, 16th Weapons Squadron, United States Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB NV
11. July 19 – Jun 20, Director, Commander’s Action Group, Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, VA
12. Jun 20 – Jun 21, Student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington D.C.
13. Jun 21 – Apr 22, Action Officer, The Joint Staff J39, Washington D.C.
14. Apr 22 – Apr 24, Deputy Executive Officer to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon, Washington D.C.
15. Apr 24 – Jun 24, Military Deputy, Joint Staff Generative AI Task Force (TF 37-78), the Pentagon, Washington D.C.
16. Jun 24 – Present, Deputy Commander, 20th Fighter Wing, Shaw AFB, SC
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS:
1. Jun 2019-Jul 2021, Branch Chief, Special Technical Operations Division, Global Operations (J39), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, VA
FLIGHT INFORMATION:
Rating: Senior Pilot
Flight Hours: 2,100+
Aircraft Flown: T-37, T-38, and F-16
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Defense Superior Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with silver oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Combat Action Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with bronze star
Iraq Campaign Medal with bronze star
Korean Defense Service Medal
NATO Medal with bronze star (OUP Libya)
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS:
2010 Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officer School
2011 Distinguished Graduate, U.S Air Force Weapons School
2011 U.S. Air Force Weapons School Robbie Risner Award
2012 U.S. Air Force Shine Award
2021 Air Force Association Writing Award, National War College
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:
Second Lieutenant June 2, 2004
First Lieutenant June 2, 2006
Captain June 2, 2008
Major July 1, 2014
Lieutenant Colonel November 1, 2017
Colonel April 1, 2023
(Current as of Jun 2024)