Lieutenant Colonel Derrick Wheeldon, retired from the United States Air Force on Nov. 1, after having served over 29 years on active duty. 

Wheeldon was born in Kansas City, Mo., and spent the first 13 years of his life in Harrisonville, Mo. He moved with his family to Columbus, graduating high school in 1985. He then graduated from Labette Community College in 1988. 

The next summer he joined his parents, Richard and Mary Jane Wheeldon in Great Bend, where Richard was Postmaster. Seeking more adventure, he departed Great Bend, joining the United States Army in 1988 and serving until June 8 1994, attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant. 

He was honorably discharged from the Army to enter the Air Force through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at University of Texas at San Antonio and commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1996. He began his career in Army intelligence as an electronic warfare signals intelligence analyst and continued as an intelligence officer while in the Air Force. He has been assigned to numerous tactical, operational and staff positions throughout the world. Derrick served with and learned from many fine military colleagues and civilian counterparts during his career. His final assignment was serving as chief of operations, analytic operations, for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), located in Springfield, Va.

Wheeldon has participated in many adventures during his career such as: Operations Desert Shield/Storm, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. His assignments have provided the opportunity to serve in such places as: Germany, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Korea, Iraq, Dubai, Qatar, Romania and Israel. 

Highlights include: visiting the Berlin Wall at Checkpoint Charlie, less than two weeks after Nov. 9  1989; visiting throughout Europe; deploying in support of Desert Shield/Storm; while in Korea, visiting China (Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai); visiting the DMZ (Terrain orientation flight via Black Hawk); seeing the Bridge of No Return/Imjin River, Panmunjom/Camp Bonifas/Joint Security Area, Poplar Tree, standing in North Korea and Tunnel #3; on Sept. 9, 2001, Targets Chief at Whiteman AFB/B2 Spirit – team effort as three 2-ships flew record-breaking combat mission flights Oct. 5, 6, 7, 2001, to open Operation Enduring Freedom; a Prince Sultan Air Base deployment in support of the U-2 Dragon Lady mission; seven months of liaison work in Constanta, Romania, seafront to the Black Sea; more visiting throughout Europe; and two visits to Israel, which included travel/sightseeing to historical sites.

Derrick is the son of Richard and Mary Jane Wheeldon of Archie, Mo.