Ty Wilson
Ty Wilson
From a young age, growing up on a ranch in Alvarado, Texas, Ty Wilson had a clear goal in mind—to become a carrier-based fighter pilot for the US Navy. In 1999, during his senior year of high school, Ty obtained his private pilot’s license and worked as a flight instructor and contract cargo pilot throughout college.
In May 2001, Ty began his military journey by joining the US Navy. After completing Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida, Ty was commissioned as an Ensign in July 2006. Despite being initially told that his height would limit him to flying transport aircraft, he excelled in VT 28 primary flight training at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, graduating as one of the top 5% flight students of all time. Ty then obtained a waiver that allowed him to fly jet aircraft and was assigned to VT 21 at NAS Kingsville, where he flew the T-45 Goshawk. Having graduated at the top of his class and receiving recognition for aerial combat and aerial weapons delivery, Ty earned his first choice of fleet assignments—to fly the F/A-18 Super Hornet at NAS Lemoore, California.
At NAS Lemoore, Ty joined VFA 22, known as the world-famous Fighting Redcocks. With the Redcocks, Ty embarked on multiple combat deployments aboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. In December 2012, Ty was honored for his hard work and received orders to NAS Fallon, Nevada, where he served in the N7 Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (now known as Naval Air Warfare Development Center). While there, he had the opportunity to fly various aircraft, including the F-5 Tiger and F-16 Fighting Falcon, serving as an adversary for fleet training and TOPGUN support.
During his time in Fallon, Ty rediscovered his passion for team roping and became involved in local roping events, including the BFI in Reno. In addition to his flying duties, he served as the Navy’s Close Air Support (CAS) Subject Matter Expert (SME) and trained Naval Special Warfare Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC) as a JTAC instructor and evaluator. Working closely with special forces from around the world, Ty trained them in calling in airstrikes and artillery.
In 2014, Ty was accepted into Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) as a Fire Support Officer and JTAC. Over the next three years, he conducted numerous combat deployments in support of the global war on terror; however, in August 2017, Ty made the decision to prioritize his family and separate from the Navy. Ty then transitioned to the Air Force Reserve and became a B1 pilot at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. Although he sought more stability, the operational tempo and deployment cycles remained demanding. Ty deployed for combat operations in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan in 2018 and again in 2019.
During the limited time he spent at home, Ty became a volunteer firefighter for a local county VFD. In May 2022, he was one of the first firefighters on the scene at the Mesquite Heat fire, one of the largest wildland fires in Taylor County’s history. After 18 days of extinguishing the fire, he was personally recognized by Texas Governor Greg Abbott and our local US Congressman Jody Arrington for his heroic and life-saving actions during the fire.
It was through a chance meeting with Bill Force at a Parker County jackpot roping that Ty first heard about the American Hero Celebration roping clinic produced by Liberty & Loyalty Foundation. Bill had mentioned Charly Crawford’s small clinic in Stephenville, followed by a jackpot roping. In Ty’s first year at Charly’s clinic, his runs were less than impressive, but the following year, he was selected for the roping clinic and ended up placing third in the military first responder roping. In 2023, Ty finished second and 12th in the military first responder roping.