Milan Zimer 

Branch of Service: U.S. Air Force 

Years of Service: 1964 - 1987  

Final Rank: Colonel (Retired)

 

Tours of Duty

  • Pilot Training - Webb AFB, Big Spring, Texas

  • F-4C combat crew training - Davis Monthan AFB, Arizona

  • 81st Tactical Fighter Wing, 92nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Bentwaters, England

  • 1966  - 389th Tactical Fighter Squadron - DaNang, Vietnam

  • 1967 - T-38 Instructor Pilot - Sheppard AFB, Texas with the German Air Force

  • 1969 - U.S. Air Force Academy - Airmanship Flying Program as a Soaring Instructor and T-33 Pilot

  • 1970 - 31st Tactical Fighter Wing - Homestead AFB, Florida - F-4 Fighter Pilot

  • 1972-73 - Ubon Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand  - 308th Tactical Fighter Squadron supporting the war in Vietnam

  • 1973 - Keflavik, Iceland - 57th Fighter Interceptor Squadron as Flight Commander, then Operations Officer

  • 1975 - Maxwell AFB, Alabama - Air Command & Staff College - upon completion of staff college, assigned to Tactical Air Command HQ.

  • 1979-80 - graduated from U.S. Army War College

  • 1980 - MacDill AFB, Florida - Commander of the 61st Tactical Fighter Training Squadron - later Assistant Director of Operations - 56th Tactical Fighter Wing

  • 1982 - Nellis AFB, Nevada - Deputy Commander of Operations - 4450th Tactical Fighter Group (First Director of Operations for  F-117A Stealth Fighter)

  • 1985 - Howard AFB, Republic of Panama - Vice Commander & Inspector General of the 24th Composite Wing until his retirement from the U.S. Air Force in 1987.

 

 

Warfare Specialization

  • Fighter Pilot - F-105, F-4, F-15, F-16, F-117A, A-7, O-2

  • Command Pilot

 

 

Medals & Decorations

  • Legion of Merit

  • Distinguished Flying Cross with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters

  • Meritorious Service Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster

  • Air Medal with 19 Oak Leaf Clusters

  • Commendation Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters

  • Combat Readiness Medal

 

 

 

Significant Experiences

  • In first tour of duty in Vietnam - flew over 220 missions of which more than 100 combat missions were in North Vietnam in the F-4

  • Credited with three enemy MIG - 21 kills during this tour

  • Named Instructor Pilot of the year in 1969 at Sheppard AFB

  • In second tour of Vietnam - flew over 80 combat missions in the F-4

  • Member of a super secret organization of elite pilots developing the capabilities of the first stealth fighter aircraft in the world, the F-117A.

  • Worked for Lockheed Aircraft from 1987 to 1996 as Director of Mission Planning Systems