Don Harward

US Army 1974-1999, retired as a Chief Warrant Officer, CW4. That all started when I joined as an enlisted soldier and served in various assignments including a mechanic, track vehicle recovery specialist and a M-60 main battle tank, Armor crewman. Attended the US Army flight school in 1979-1980 graduating as a warrant officer and an aeroscout pilot. Served in Germany for three years then was recruited for a classified assignment. I then flew MH-47 Special Operations configured aircraft on missions of a classified nature with "Operators" from the army, other branches of the service and other government agencies from the US and allied nations. I continued various assignments with special operations command and the regular army eventually retiring from the 101st Airborne Division. Following the Army experience I trained and became an airline pilot flying regional jets of the 50 and 70 seat size internationally and domestically from 2000 until 2005. Recruited by Blackwater USA in the fall of 2005 to fly "littlebird" helicopters in Baghdad supporting US government operations in a hostile environment. Continued to support another government agency in Afghanistan from 2006-late 2008 flying gunships and combat Search and Rescue aircraft from Kabul and Kandahar. Became the lead pilot for another organization flying more advanced helicopters supporting the US Army and Marines, and some other nations conducting operations in southern Afghanistan. During that time I flew combat service support missions ranging over the southern half of the country of Afghanistan. Flying career ended suddenly in 2010 with a medevac back to the United States...Combat does have it's problems it would seem, and was medically retired that same year. I studied Aeronautics and business graduating with a B.S. from Embry riddle university and continued on with Masters studies, however did not complete that degree. Currently working on an under graduate degree in raising my children and domestic and homemaking studies. Apparently I am not doing very well! But, in keeping with the motto of one of my former units, NSDQ, Night Stalkers Don't Quit!