USAFA Class Heritage

DEAN A. HESS, JR.

Colonel (Ret) USAF

Following graduation, Dean attended UPT at Reese AFB and was later assigned to Vance AFB as an Instructor Pilot in T-37 and a Flight Examiner in T-41 aircraft.   He continued his instructing duties by helping to open a new UPT base at Randolph AFB.  There he helped set up a T-41 contracted flight school at Stinson Field in San Antonio.   He volunteered for duty in SEA and was sent to instant Fighter Pilot Training in AT-33's at Cannon AFB.  In 1969 he went to Vietnam serving as a forward air controller in the O-2A with the 2nd Brigade of the Air Mobile 101st Airborne (AB) Division.  He served as Twenty Four Corps ALO at Hue Phubi and finished his tour as an O-2A flight examiner in the 504th TASG.  While there he travelled to O-2 based Forward Operating Locations in country to checkout Instructor Pilots.  He returned to the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell AFB where he completed one of two master degrees.  Following graduation, he was assigned to McGuire AFB as a C-141 squadron operations officer, Chief of Wing Training, and commander of the 438th Transportation Squadron.  In 1975 he was assigned to Scott AFB at Military Airlift Command Headquarters as an Airlift Director and Branch Chief of the Airlift Management Division.  After leaving Scott AFB, IL he served on the Headquarters USAF Air Staff in Operations at the Pentagon in the Airlift Division.  Following his promotion to Colonel he was assigned as a Director of Operations representative on Air Staff corporate committees and assumed the job of Assistant Director for Operations, Initiatives, and Joint Matters.   He moved to Maxwell AFB as the Class President of the Air War College Class of 1984.    Afterwards he was sent back to Military Airlift Command to fly C-141Bs at McChord AFB, WA and to serve as the Wing Director of Operations.  His tour was cut short at McCord AFB to serve in Portugal as the Chief of Staff, US Forces Azores and Wing Vice Commander.   Following this overseas tour, he returned to the Air Staff in the Pentagon as the Director of the Air Force Board Structure for the Air Force Chief of Staff.   In this assignment he managed the Air Force Corporate panels, Committees, Air Force Board and Air Force Council.  His duties included running the Chief's Staff Meetings, preparing and conducting CORONA meetings at USAFA and Homestead AFB, and the annual Air Force Senior Statesman meetings of Retired Four Star Officers.  During this assignment he completed a second Master's Degree in Systems Management.Dean retired in 1989 and began his civilian career as the General Manager of the Washington DC Branch of Wells Fargo Alarm Services.  After two years in the alarm business, he joined the Orkand Corporation in 1992 as a Senior Consultant and served in management positions on federal contracts including tasks with the Air Force Morale and Welfare Agency, HUD, and the State Department. As a task manager of interim computer systems he led a team of contract programmers developing and maintaining systems in Consular Affairs posts overseas.   His next opportunity came as an Account Manager with UNISYS Federal Systems maintaining computer systems for the Social Security Administration.  Dean is a Program Management Professional and an Earned Value Professional.  He was a management consultant at Robbins Gioia LLC and is currently serving as an Associate at Booz Allen Hamilton in their Decision Analytics practice.  He is a lifelong Toastmaster.  He has stayed active in his Church as a Reader and Executive Board President.   Dean retired as a Command Pilot with over 4000 hours in (T-37, O-2, T-39, & C-141A & B models).  He logged over 500 hours of combat time in Vietnam.  He is currently an inactive Commercial Flight Instructor rated pilot in light aircraft.   He is married to the former Suzanne Armstrong of Harrisburg, PA, and they have two children: Elisabeth and Dean III and three grandchildren.  Suzanne and he lived in Mason Neck, VA.  in 2025 they moved to Falcons Landing potomac falls, VA