COLONEL JAMES D. WESSLER

 1972 -- 2002

Col Jim Wessler was commissioned in the Air Force in June of 1972.  Following commissioning, he attended Undergraduate Pilot Training at Laredo Air Force Base, Texas.  He then attended F-4 RTU at McDill AFB, Florida.  After RTU, he was assigned to the 492^nd Tactical Fighter Squadron at RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom where he served as an F-4 pilot and a forward air controller.  In 1977, he was reassigned to the 50^th Tac Fighter Wing at Hahn Air Base, Germany. While at Hahn, Captain Wessler served as a squadron instructor pilot and a wing flight examiner. 

In the spring of 1978, he was assigned to Holloman AFB, New Mexico, as an AT-38 Instructor Pilot in the Lead-In Fighter Training program.  Captain Wessler served as a squadron instructor and as a wing flight examiner.  In July of 1981, Captain Wessler was selected to attend F-15 training at Luke AFB, Arizona and was subsequently assigned to the 49^th Tactical Fighter Wing at Holloman AFB, NM.  He initially served as a squadron pilot, instructor pilot, and flight commander in the 8^th Tac Fighter Squadron (TFS).  He completed his tour as a wing flight examiner, attached to the 9^th Tac Fighter Squadron.

In February of 1985, he was reassigned to the 314^th Air Division at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea where he was the Chief of Airspace Management in the 314^th Air Division Combat Plans Section.

Major Wessler returned to the United States in February of 1986 and was assigned to Langley AFB, Virginia as the F-15 program functional manager on the HQ TAC/DO staff.  In the summer of 1989, he was again assigned to Holloman in the F-15.  He initially served as the assistant operations officer in the 7TFS. In April of 1990, he moved to the wing staff as the chief of current operations.  In September of 1990, he returned to the 7TFS as the operations officer.  From September to December of 1991 he was the acting squadron commander of the 8TFS, still flying the F-15.

In December of 1991, following the de-activation of the F-15 wing at Holloman, he assumed duties as the operations officer in the 433^rd Fighter Squadron, still at Holloman, and was once again in the AT-38 aircraft.  In September of 1992, Lieutenant Colonel Wessler took command of the 7^th Fighter Squadron “Bunyaps” at Holloman.  He served as commander until December of 1993, when he moved to wing staff as the Deputy Ops Group commander. 

In June of 1995, Col Wessler was selected to serve as the Vice Commander of the 39^th Wing and the 7440^th Composite Wing at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey.  Col Wessler served a 15-month unaccompanied tour at Incirlik. 

  In September 1996, he returned to Langley AFB, Virginia, and was assigned to the ACC Inspector General Directorate.  He initially served as Chief, Programs and Analysis Division. In June of 1998, he took over as Chief of the Inspections Division and on 1 April 1999 he became the first commander of the ACC Inspection Squadron.  Col Wessler served in that capacity until September of 2001, at which time he assumed his current duties as Air Combat Command’s Deputy Inspector General.

Colonel Wessler is a command pilot with over 3500 hours of flying time in fighter aircraft.  He is the son of Bob and Ann Wessler of Sullivan, Missouri.  Col Wessler’s father is a retired U. S. Air Force Senior Master Sergeant. Col Wessler is married to his high school sweetheart, the former Kris Pfautsch of Sullivan, Missouri. Col Wessler’s son, Jacob, is a Doctor (Capt) in the Air Force.  Col Wessler’s son, Matthew is a Lieutenant in the Army National Guard and is a Military Policeman.  Col Wessler’s daughter Anna is an accomplished flutist and lives in Erie, PA.  Col Wessler currently resides in Yorktown, Virginia.

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