Colonel Dwight Schmidt served our country for 37 years as a Marine Corp fighter pilot. Colonel Schmidt graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1988 and was commissioned into the Marine Corp as a 2nd Lieutenant. His military career included many leadership positions, including forming a new F/A-18 fighter squadron that he ultimately took into combat. He led the creation of the first Marine Reserve Fighter Squadron to be activated since the Korean War. Colonel Schmidt’s deployment ranged from the Pacific Rim to Europe.

Colonel Schmidt’s career following retirement lead him to Delta Airlines, where he has is a Captain and serves as an instructor pilot. He is often engaged as a military consultant to the Hollywood Screen Actors Guild, having advised on films like Godzilla, Independence Day, Fast and Furious, Black Hawk Down and The Green Lantern.

Private citizen Schmidt has a long history with baseball, having been a longtime travel baseball coach. He and his wife Rhena have two sons. Clate played for Clemson University and the Detroit Tigers. He is following in his dad’s footsteps as a commercial pilot. Youngest son Clarke played for the University of South Carolina and can be seen on Major League baseball telecasts as a current starting pitcher for the New York Yankees.

Let's fill the room on Thursday for Col. Schmidt!