Gus Kohntopp - Flying Career

Flying Career

Kohntopp attended pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base and graduated in the top 5% of his class. He chose the A-10 Thunderbolt II (A-10) as the aircraft that he wished to fly. First, Kohntopp attended fighter "lead-in" training at Holloman Air Force Base and then transferred to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base to train in the A-10. His first assignment after graduating from the training was Suwon Air Base near Suwon, South Korea where he spent 13 months.

After Suwon, Kohntopp was transferred to Myrtle Beach Air Force Base in South Carolina for two years. At Myrtle Beach, he met his wife Saunie. Believing that the U.S. Air Force was about to deactivate its A-10 fleet, Kohntopp applied for and was accepted as a F-117 Nighthawk pilot, operating out of Tonopah Test Range, Nevada. During his time at Tonopah, he deployed twice to Saudi Arabia. His F-117 unit then moved to Holloman Air Force Base, although Kohntopp and his family continued to maintain a home in Las Vegas. He served as an instructor pilot for the F-117 and AT-38 for the next five years at Holloman.

After Holloman, Kohntopp served in a staff position at United States Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. In 1999, soon after the birth of his second child, Kohntopp decided to leave active duty and return to Idaho where he obtained a position as an A-10 pilot with the 190th Fighter Squadron of the Idaho Air National Guard.

Kohntopp was hired as a first officer with Southwest Airlines, a position that he held for six years before being promoted to captain in early 2006. During this time, the 190th Fighter Squadron with Kohntopp was deployed to Southwest Asia for four and one half months in support of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Kohntopp flew 27 combat missions in support of United States and United Kingdom military forces involved in the operation. Kohntopp called the deployment, "the epitome of my career" and he was awarded the Bronze Star for his performance during the operation. In late 2006 or early 2007, Kohntopp was promoted to Colonel.