Coyote is a decorated retired U.S. Air Force Colonel with an extraordinary career spanning four decades of military and civilian federal service with a distinguished background in military aviation and strategic planning. A seasoned Weapon Systems Officer, he flew both the legendary F-4 Phantom and the advanced F-15E Strike Eagle, embodying the precision and expertise that define the tactical air forces of the United States.

Coming of age in the rural areas of Southern Illinois and Western Tennessee in the dark ages before the Internet (or cable TV for that matter), Coyote spent his youth outdoors doing such hazardous activities as drinking from a garden hose, hunting and fishing with his Dad, and playing every sport that included some type of ball (golf and the un-American game called soccer being the exceptions). His passion for aviation was a cherished inheritance from his father, a tail gunner on the B-36J “Peacemaker,” the world’s first intercontinental nuclear bomber, ultimately guiding Coyote to Memphis State University and the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps.

Throughout his distinguished military career, Coyote occupied critical roles that directly impacted national defense strategy. As a Strategic Planner at the Pentagon and recipient of the U.S. Air Force Test Director of the Year award, he was instrumental in developing comprehensive national defense strategies and evaluating cutting-edge weapons systems. His technical expertise—fortified by a Master’s in Systems Management and a Bachelor’s in Engineering Technology—enabled him to make significant contributions to operational testing and the development of joint doctrine, particularly during the revolutionary integration of unmanned aircraft systems into modern military operations.