Lt Col Doug "Dagwood" Woodley, USAF (ret)

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Doug Woodley is the Warrior Flight Team Board President. A native of Pensacola, Florida, and son of a Naval Aviator, Doug was commissioned in 1999. Assigned flight training at NAS Pensacola he earned his wings in 2000 and has flown numerous military aircraft. He was carrier qualified in the EA-6B Prowler and deployed aboard the USS Nimitz and John Stennis. He has over 1800 flight hours, including 450 hours in combat operations in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.  He currently resides in the Washington DC area and is the narrator and coordinator for the Warrior Flight Team.

 

Doug uses his experience as a military officer to ensure the needs of today's veterans are well represented. As the team's media relations representative, he is able to capitalize on his experience as a published writer to raise awareness to Warrrior Flight Team's mission. He also is the voice of the Warrior Flight Team at air shows throughout the nation.  

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Pat "Villain" Marsh

 

Pat Marsh, who serves as the Vice President of the Warrior Flight Team Charity, is a native of the beaches of San Diego and the son of a career Naval Aviator. He is a business owner who has been flying since 1987, holds a commercial pilots certificate with an instrument rating and is a FAST rated formation pilot. 

 

He flew under contract with the Naval Test Pilot School, Patuxent River, Maryland, from 1997-2000 and has been flying airshows since 1994.

 

Owner of the Vandy 1 black jet, he is the founder of Vandy 1, Warrior Flight Team and in 2008 a co-founder along with Gary Velasco, Scott Kelly and Geoff Hickman of the 501c Warrior Aviation. He has over 2500 flight hours in various aircraft to include Warbirds, L-39 jets and Russian Yaks.

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Lt Col Dane "Fitz" Nielsen, USAF (ret)

 

Lt Col Dane Nielsen grew up in Brigham City, Utah, and resides in Washington D.C.  Dane is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and has over 5000 hours of flying time in numerous aircraft.  He is a Command Pilot in the U. S. Air Force stationed at Joint Base Andrews, MD.  In his final assignment, he flew the C-20B, C-37A and C-37B (military versions of the Gulfstream III, V and 550 business jets) as an instructor/evaluator pilot in the 89th Airlift Wing.   The 89th AW provides worldwide transportation to America’s leaders including the Vice President, First Lady of the United States, Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense as well as other military and diplomatic VIPs.  Prior to this assignment, Lt Col Nielsen flew aeromedical evacuation flights in the C-9, and supported combat operations in Middle East and Afghanistan flying the KC-10

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Sam Meek

 

Sam Meek is a Marine Corps veteran and passionate aviator who used his Montgomery GI Bill to earn his Commercial Multi-Engine license, along with seaplane and tailwheel ratings. He shares his love of flight by volunteering with Women Can Fly and guiding Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops toward their aviation merit badges. Beyond aviation, Sam is the co-founder and CEO of Sandboxx, a military media and technology company that connects service members with their families. He lives in Middleburg, Virginia, with his wife Kristin and their two children, Oliver and Story.

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Gary "Rocker" Velasco

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Gary was born and raised in Stamford, Connecticut. Following a 40-year musical career as a guitarist—primarily with the band Pyn Siren—Gary applied his natural abilities to become one of the world’s leading authorities on WWII Aviation Nose Art.

 

For more than 27 years with the stroke of his brush, he’s breathed new life into dozens of warbirds, many of which can still be seen, flying or statically, in museums or at airshows across the United States. Gary has graced nearly all corners of the Earth with his intricately detailed and accurately portrayed hand-crafted replicas of WWII aviation history.

 

Drawing on his talents as an historian, author, and artist, Gary has been a pioneer in reproducing WWII aviation nose art and creating countless originals depicting today’s beauties with the class and feel of yesterday’s glamorous pin-ups. He has brought us beautiful, patriotic, historic, and sometimes comical reminders of this country’s Greatest Generation. His work pays homage to American heroes and the women who helped keep them going during the trials and tribulations of WWII. When he created the Fighting Colors Collection Shop, it never occurred to him that he would someday be fighting his own battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS.

 

 

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Jeff Thomas​​

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Jeff was born and raised in Maryland. Owner of multiple accredited businesses to include home improvement, home restoration, remediation, real estate and restaurants in the MD,VA & Wash DC area. He was a primary sponsor of the Warrior Flight Team and other veterans charities prior to becoming treasurer. He is also a major supporter of WW II related events.

 

Jeff resides in Southern Maryland with his 3 children Nicholas, Olivia and Landon. An avid boater, owner and antique car collector he is a lifetime member of the AACA.