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Colonel Kurt A. Wendt

Director of the Center for Character and Leadership Development

Center for Character and Leadership Development

Colonel Kurt A Wendt
Contact Information

(719) 333-4904

Bio

Colonel Kurt A. Wendt is the Director of the Center for Character and Leadership Development, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado. The Center’s mission is to serve the Air Force Academy by advancing character and leadership development to prepare graduates for service to the nation. The Center is responsible for aligning and supporting professional development for cadets, faculty, and staff, and integrating character and leadership development programs across the 4,000-member Cadet Wing. The Center hosts several large forums each year including the National Character and Leadership Symposium, and conducts leading-edge research, instruction, and assessments. The Center is integral to the Academy’s mission of graduating officers of character and integrating the Air Force’s Core Values of Integrity, Service, and Excellence for cadets, faculty, and staff.

Colonel Wendt was commissioned in 1994 as a Distinguished Graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He subsequently completed a Master’s Degree program at the University of Maryland at College Park, and was a Distinguished Graduate of Air Force Intelligence Officer Training. A career intelligence officer, Colonel Wendt served at the squadron level supporting F-22, F-15, HH-60, and Special Operations units, and as a Royal Air Force Exchange Officer in the United Kingdom. He was assigned to the Pentagon in the Air Force Intelligence Analysis Agency and CHECKMATE Division, and completed a joint tour as Executive Officer to the Director of Intelligence at Headquarters U.S. Central Command. Colonel Wendt was the Commander of the 485th Intelligence Squadron at Mainz-Kastel, Germany, Deputy Commander of the 17th Training Group at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, and served as the Director of Intelligence, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and U.S. Air Forces Africa, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Prior to his current assignment, he was the Commander of the 501st Combat Support Wing, headquartered at RAF Alconbury, United Kingdom.

Colonel Wendt has deployed in support of Operations ALLIED FORCE, JOINT FORGE, NORTHERN WATCH, SOUTHERN WATCH, IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM and INHERENT RESOLVE.

Education

Bachelor of Science, History and Political Science with German Minor, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. (1994)

Master of Public Management, International Security and Economic Policy, School of Public Affairs, University of Maryland at College Park (1996)

Intelligence Officer Training, Goodfellow AFB, Texas (1997)

Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. (1999)

Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence (2006)

Air War College, by correspondence (2012)

Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va. (2017)

Leading Strategically, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.(2021)

Professional Experience

Graduate Student, University of Maryland at College Park, Md. (July 1994 – June 1996)

Student, Intelligence Officer Training, Goodfellow AFB, Texas (June 1996 – March 1997)

Chief of Asia Air Threat Analysis, National Air Intelligence Center, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. (March 1997 – March 2000)

Intelligence Flight Commander, 85th Operations Squadron, and Director of Air Defense and Search and Rescue Operations, 85th Group, NAS Keflavik, Iceland (March 2000 – May 2002)

Deputy Squadron Commander, and Electronic Warfare and Signals Intelligence Officer (Royal Air Force Exchange Officer), RAF Waddington, United Kingdom (May 2002 – July 2004)

Chief of Operational Intelligence, CHECKMATE Division, and Chief of Air Threat Branch, Air Force Intelligence Analysis Agency, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. (July 2004 – July 2006)

Intelligence Flight Commander, 325th Ops Support Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla. (July 2006 – July 2008)

Executive Officer to the Director of Intelligence, Deputy Chief of Iran Branch, and Senior Watch Officer, Headquarters U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla. (August 2008 – July 2012)

Commander, 485th Intelligence Squadron, Mainz-Kastel, Germany (August 2012 – July 2014)

Deputy Commander, 17th Training Group, Goodfellow AFB, Texas (July 2014 – May 2016)

Chief of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Division, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation INHERENT RESOLVE, Southwest Asia (May 2016 – December 2016)

Chief of Staff, 17th Training Wing, Goodfellow AFB, Texas (January 2017 – July 2017)

Director of Intelligence (A2), U.S. Air Forces in Europe and U.S. Air Forces Africa, Ramstein Air Base, Germany (July 2017 – July 2019)

Commander, 501st Combat Support Wing, RAF Alconbury, United Kingdom (July 2019 – July 2021)

Director, Center for Character and Leadership Development, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. (July 2021 – Present)

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
Executive Officer to the Director of Intelligence, Deputy Chief of Iran Branch, and Senior Watch Officer, Headquarters U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla., as a major and lieutenant colonel (August 2008 – July 2012,)

Honors & Awards

Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster

Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters

Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters

Joint Service Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster

United Kingdom Iraq Medal

Knowlton Award, U.S. Army Military Intelligence Corps