American Legion Beaufort Post 207 brings you Dan Truckenbrod, 54, who joined the U.S. Navy when entering the U.S. Naval Academy in 1988, rising to Deputy Brigade Commander. Upon commissioning in 1992, he attended flight school at Pensacola, Fla., before assignment at NAS Kingsville to qualify as pilot in the F/A-18 Hornet.
He was assigned to MCAS El Toro and later to Cecil Field, NAS Jacksonville, from which he deployed to the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf aboard USS George Washington (CVN-73). His next assignment was with the U.S. Air Force at Luke AFB training on the F-16 Fighting Falcon before being assigned at NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach, from which he deployed again to the Mid-East aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
He then spent three years at the European Command Headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany focused on Operation Enduring Freedom – Trans Sahara countering terrorism in nine African nations. He next attended the Naval Postgraduate School, earning an MBA before serving in the Pentagon budgeting for the war on terror on the Secretary of the Navy’s staff. His final assignment was on North Island, Coronado, San Diego as the comptroller for Naval Air Forces, Pacific. He retired in 2016 as a Commander with 24 years of service. Today he is a test pilot with Gulfstream Aerospace.
Compiled by John Chubb, American Legion Post 207. For Veteran Of The Week nominations, contact jechubb1@gmail.com.
