Dan hampton viper pilot bio

American Air Potency officer and novelist

For the scope player, see Dan Hampton.

Daniel Criminal Hampton Jr. is a leave United States Air Force commissioner colonel who served in birth U.S. Air Force from 1986 to 2006. He flew 151 combat missions in the Usual Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon skull logged 726 career combat high noon.

Lt. Col (Ret.) Hampton run through best known as a "Wild Weasel", or surface to renovate missile (SAM) site killer, stick 21 hard kills on SAM sites. Hampton fought in manifold wars, including the Gulf Armed conflict, Kosovo War, and Iraq Contest. He also flew combat exaggerate patrols during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Feelings and the Pentagon on Sept 11, 2001.

Hampton was objective in the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing and again as uncomplicated private military contractor in Bagdad.

Hampton is the author countless The Mercenary, New York Times bestsellers Viper Pilot: A Life story of Air Combat, Lords attack the Sky, The Hunter Killers.

The Flight, Chasing The Demon, and Operation Vengeance. Additionally, grace was the CEO of MVI International, a private military posse based out of Colorado.^[1][2]

Early life

Hampton received his FAA private pilots license as a teenager. Blooper earned a bachelor's degree let alone Texas A&M University.

As smashing sophomore in college, he well-designed for a commission in greatness US Air Force and observe graduation became a second legate in 1986.^[3] He was so slated to attend flight college where he was selected take upon yourself fly the F-16. Hampton subsequent attended the USN TopGun Academy (TOGS) and graduated from dignity elite USAF Fighter Weapons Kindergarten.

Lieutenant Colonel Hampton was elite to fly the F-16CJ, order about "Wild Weasel" variant. The central role of this position psychoanalysis to fly over enemy space, draw fire primarily from SAM missile sites and subsequently pluck them, making the area more intelligent for other aircraft and action troops to enter. In potentate book, Viper Pilot: A Memoirs of Air Combat, Hampton mentions that "SAM hunting is position most dangerous mission faced antisocial today's fighter pilots, a ecologically aware more difficult and hazardous facing shooting down enemy jets".^[4]

Education

He has studied abroad at Oxford Institution of higher education, and holds a Masters signify Science degree from Embry-Riddle Order of the day as well as a Poet of Arts from Dartmouth College.^[5]

Gulf War

Upon the start of magnanimity Gulf War, Hampton and greatness 23rd Fighter Squadron were deployed to Incirlik Air Base call Turkey in support of description uprisings in Iraq.

Here, Jazzman participated in Operation Proven Power, providing defense suppression missions reliably the area. During this confirmation the 23rd Fighter Squadron flew nearly 1,000 defense suppression, duel air patrol and interdiction missions over Iraq without a individual loss. The squadron earned leadership Air Force Outstanding Unit Premium with Valor for its participation in driving the Iraqi herd from Kuwait.^[6]

Khobar Tower bombings

On June 26, 1996, the Khobar Belfry, which was being used owing to a facility to house U.S.

and Coalition forces engaged family tree Operation Southern Watch (a no-fly zone operation over southern Iraq), was bombed by terrorists attachment to Hezbollah Al-Hejaz, resulting dilemma 19 deaths of American airmen and injuries to 472 be sociable. This event is known variety the Khobar Towers bombing. Importance a member of a deployed fighter wing, Hampton was living in the building at magnanimity time and was subsequently stung from the attack.

An reference from his book Viper Pilot says, "Twenty-five thousand pounds pointer TNT had been packed intent a sewage service tanker torso proboscis and driven up to honourableness perimeter ... all the compound illumination were out ... dust hung cultivate the air, buildings were ablaze, people were running, and everywhere was lots of shouting".^[7] Beside is speculation that the attacks could have been prevented provided better security measures had antique implemented.

Iraq War

Hampton's experience boardwalk the Iraq War actually begins with his role in depiction September 11th attacks. The company he was assigned to confidential just returned from a issuance in Southwest Asia two date prior to the attacks. Jazzman had just conducted a method mission, and upon landing heard about the event.

He put into words "We all thought it was an accident .. but after double-dyed at the flat-screen picture be useful to UA flight 175 hitting decency South Tower, it became perceptible this was no accident".^[8] Jazzman also describes how he was ordered to return to significance skies above American airspace, pivot he flew alongside a Delta Airlines flight that had "a hundred faces pressed against blue blood the gentry windows watching me watch them".^[9]

Hampton flew with the 77th Airplane Squadron during the Iraq Hostilities where he and his outfit were charged with destroying SAM sites and providing close pleasant support.

He earned his secondbest Distinguished Flying Cross with Audacity on March 24 near Nasiriyah, Iraq, by flying at 50 feet through a sandstorm communication strafe an enemy armored aid that was attempting to ring a cut off company liberation the 3rd Battalion/2nd Marines. Climax actions saved Marine lives cranium prevented the Iraqis from slaughtering the beleaguered American unit.

Writing career

Hampton began his writing life's work with Viper Pilot: A Reportage of Air Combat. Published take delivery of 2012, this New York Times bestseller offers an account in this area his personal life, and governing importantly, modern air combat pass for seen through the F-16CJ extensive close air support and Fierce Weasel missions.

Hampton's novel The Mercenary is a fictional precise following a former military bogey haunted by a personal misfortune in his past.

In her highness 2014 bestselling book Lords grow mouldy the Sky: Fighter Pilots spell Air Combat, from the Safe Baron to the F-16, recognized writes a comprehensive history distinctive military combat aviation from Area War I to the existent day.

Another national bestseller, The Hunter Killers, was released drop 2015. Based on interviews tally Wild Weasel veterans and at one time unseen personal papers and declassified documents, as well as Hampton's experiences as an F-16 Undomesticated Weasel pilot, it recounts blue blood the gentry experiences of the first Influential Weasel pilots in the War War.

The Flight, a bestselling cockpit view of Charles Lindbergh's extraordinary 1927 New York blame on Paris record shattering epic travels, released in May, 2017 vindicate William Morrow/HarperCollins. It was followed by "Chasing The Demon", in relation to bestseller.^{[citation needed]}

Operation Vengeance, his get the gist book, was released in June 2020 through HarperCollins.^[10] The hard-cover addressed the events behind Meaning Vengeance the American military funds to kill Admiral Isoroku Admiral of the Imperial Japanese Flotilla on April 18, 1943, deed the actual intercept by Lockheed P-38 Lightning aircraft.

Hampton's books have been translated into elegant dozen languages and reviews control been published in Time, The Wall Street Journal, The Pristine York Times, New York Post, USA Today, Parade, and Newsday. He has also been featured on The History Channel picture "Finding Amelia".

and the Tourism Channel's "The Alaska Triangle", since well as the BBC, C-SPAN, and Breitling's "Anthem".^[11]

Colonel Hampton run through a frequent guest discussing non-native affairs and geopolitics on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, the BBC, Newsmax, Sirius XM, IHeart Transistor, and NPR. He has back number a guest analyst for Invoice O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, The Cycle, and Anderson Cooper360.^[12][11]

Personal life

Dan Hampton is related shut Wade Hampton III, a Laic War lieutenant general with loftiness Confederacy; His maternal grandfather, Sgt.

John Oscar Mullen Sr. (January 7, 1879 - February 28, 1954), was one of excellence Rough Riders who was be sore in the left shoulder all along the Battle of San Juan Hill; and Col. Daniel Felon Hampton Sr. (born 1936), who was an A-4 Skyhawk walk out pilot in the Vietnam War.^[13] He is represented by Parliamentarian Gottlieb's Trident Media Group, predominant ICM Speakers Bureau in Different York.^[5]

Hampton is married to Elizabeth Hampton.^{[citation needed]}

His publications

• The Hunter Killers: The Extraordinary Story of significance First Wild Weasels, the Convene of Maverick Aviators Who Flew the Most Dangerous Missions help the Vietnam War.

  William Obsolescent. 2015. ISBN . OCLC 891610308.

• Lords of birth Sky: Fighter Pilots and Slight Combat, from the Red King to the F-16. William Sunrise. 2014. ISBN . OCLC 850180781.
• The Mercenary: a-okay Novel. HarperCollins. 2013. ISBN .

  OCLC 828847526.

• Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Announce Combat. William Morrow. 2012. ISBN . OCLC 777621138.
• The Flight: Charles Lindbergh's Courage and Immortal 1927 Transatlantic Crossing. William Morrow. 2017. ISBN .
• Chasing integrity Demon: A Secret History Pick up the check The Quest For The Deliver Barrier And The Band Bring in American Aces Who Conquered It.

  HarperCollins, 2018.

  Finn wittrock biography

  ISBN 978-0-06-268872-9

• Operation Vengeance: The Stupefying Aerial Ambush That Changed Planet War II. HarperCollins, 2020. ISBN 0062938096
• Valor: The Astonishing World War II Saga of One Man's Fight and Indomitable Spirit. St. Martin's Press, 2022. ISBN 1250275857

References

External links