Dan "Two Dogs" Hampton

Dan Hampton
Nickname(s)	"Two Dogs"
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Air Force
Years of service	1986–2006
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel
Commands held	Air Combat Command
Battles/wars	Gulf War Kosovo War Iraq War
Awards	Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) (4) Air Medal with Valor (8) Meritorious Service Medal (United States) (5) Purple Heart

Dan "Two Dogs" Hampton is a retired United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel who served in the U.S. Air Force from 1986 to 2006. He flew 151 combat missions in the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and logged 726 career combat hours. Lt. Col (Ret.) Hampton is best known as a "Wild Weasel", or Surface-to-Air (SAM) site killer, recording 21 hard kills on SAM sites. Hampton served in multiple wars, including the Gulf War, Kosovo War, and Iraq War. He was also involved in flying a sortie during the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Hampton was also wounded in the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing.

Hampton is the author of novels such as: The Mercenary, Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat, Lords of the Sky, and The Hunter Killers. Additionally, he is the CEO of MVI International, a private military company based out of Colorado.^[1]

Early life

Hampton received his FAA Private Pilots License as a teenager. He earned a Bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University. As a sophomore in college, he applied for a commission in the US Air Force and upon graduation, received his commission in 1986.^[2] He was then slated to attend flight school where he was selected to fly the F-16.

Lieutenant Colonel Hampton (ret.) was selected to fly the F-16CJ, or "Wild Weasel" variant. The main role of this position is to fly over enemy airspace and draw fire primarily from SAM missile sites and subsequently destroying them, making the area safer for other aircraft and ground troops to enter. In his book, Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat, Hampton mentions that "SAM hunting is the most dangerous mission faced by today's fighter pilots, a job more difficult and hazardous than shooting down enemy jets".^[3]

Gulf War

Upon the start of the Gulf War, Hampton and the 23rd Fighter Squadron were deployed to Incirlik Air Base in Turkey in support of the uprisings in Iraq. Here, Hampton participated in Operation Proven Force, providing defense suppression missions in the area. During this operation the 23rd Fighter Squadron flew nearly 1,000 defense suppression, combat air patrol and interdiction missions over Iraq without a single loss. The squadron earned the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor for its part in driving the Iraqi army from Kuwait.^[4]

Khobar Tower Bombings

On June 26, 1996, the Khobar Tower, which was being used as a facility to house foreign military personnel was bombed by supporters of Hezbollah Al-Hejaz. This event is known as the Khobar Towers bombing. As a member of a deployed fighter wing, Hampton was residing in the building at the time and was subsequently injured from the attack. An excerpt from his book Viper Pilot says, "Twenty-five thousand pounds of TNT had been packed into a sewage service tanker trunk and driven up to the perimeter... all the compound lights were out... dust hung in the air, buildings were burning, people were running, and there was lots of shouting".^[5] There is speculation that the attacks could have been prevented if better security measures were implemented.

Iraq War

Hampton's experience in the Iraq War actually begins with his role in the September 11th attacks. The squadron he was assigned to had just returned from a deployment in Southwest Asia two days prior to the attacks. Hampton had just conducted a routine mission, and upon landing heard about the event. He said "We all thought it was an accident.. but after staring at the flat-screen picture of UA flight 175 hitting the South Tower, it became obvious this was no accident".^[6] Hampton also describes how he was ordered to return to the skies above American airspace where he flew alongside a delta flight that had "a hundred faces pressed against the windows watching me watch them".^[7]

Hampton served in the Iraq War where he and his squadron were charged with destroying SAM sites, and providing air support.

Writing career

Hampton began his writing career with Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat. Published in 2013, this book offers an account of his personal life, and most importantly, modern air combat as seen through the F-16CJ conducting Wild Weasel missions.

Hampton's novel The Mercenary, is a fictional book following a former military officer haunted by a personal tragedy in his past.

In 2014, his book Lords of the Sky: Fighter Pilots and Air Combat, from the Red Baron to the F-16, he writes a comprehensive history of military combat aviation from World War I to the present day.

Most recently, his book The Hunter Killers was released in 2015. The Hunter Killers, based on interviews with Wild Weasel veterans and previously unseen personal papers and declassified documents, as well as his experiences as a F-16 Wild Weasel pilot, recounts the experiences of the first Wild Weasel pilots in the Vietnam War.

Personal life

Hampton is related to Wade Hampton, a Civil War general; John Mullen, one of the Rough Riders; and Col. Daniel Hampton, who was an A-4 Skyhawk attack pilot.^[8]

His publications

• The Hunter Killers: The Extraordinary Story of the First Wild Weasels, the Band of Maverick Aviators Who Flew the Most Dangerous Missions of the Vietnam War. William Morrow. 2015. ISBN 9780062375131. OCLC 891610308. 
• Lords of the Sky: Fighter Pilots and Air Combat, from the Red Baron to the F-16. William Morrow. 2014. ISBN 9780062262011. OCLC 850180781. 
• The Mercenary: a Novel. HarperCollins. 2013. ISBN 9780062264671. OCLC 828847526. 
• Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat. William Morrow. 2012. ISBN 9780062130358. OCLC 777621138. 

References