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Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and raised in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Jim Morris began a military
career when he entered the United States Air Force in the '70s. His Air Force career spanned
more than two decades and covered the globe - from flying alert in support of naval forces
tracking Soviet nuclear attack submarines during the Cold War in the Arctic region to leading
an Air Force special operations commando team in Asia.
Jim spent the first several years of his military career as a military working dog handler and
trainer handling drug dogs and bomb dogs for the Strategic Air Command and Air Training
Command. As an experienced dog trainer, he trained patrol dogs, narcotic detector dogs and
explosive detector dogs for the military and other government agencies at the Department of
Defense Canine Training Center. Shortly after his involvement training drug dogs for
“Operation Counterpush”, a drug trafficking interdiction operation, Jim applied for and was
accepted into the Air Force Pararescue qualification program, an Air Force special operations
training program similar to that of Navy SEALs and Army Rangers.
Following completion of the pararescue qualification program, Jim graduated and was assigned
to an Air Force special operations rescue squadron. It was there he completed upgrade
training, honed his tactical and medical skills, transitioned into special operation low-level night
flying and became special mission qualified.
After several years, Jim received orders to Europe where he was assigned as Director of
Logistics for an Air Force special operation pararescue team. He continued to fly and train for
combat search and rescue. While overseas, Jim supported Air Force One on its European
flights, Army Special Forces and Navy Special Warfare operations and exercises throughout
Europe and North Africa and naval operations off the coast of Iceland. He also rewrote the
team's mobility plan to enhance its world-wide deployment capabilities.
Jim was still overseas when the space shuttle exploded over the Atlantic Ocean in 1986. As
Director of Logistics, Jim was tasked to establish and develop plans and a program to acquire
and maintain emergency rescue equipment for NASA’s new astronaut rescue contingency plan.
This endeavor required Jim to design the program from the ground up with a deployment
capability to support the shuttle’s emergency landing sites in Europe and Africa for all future
space shuttle launches and reentry sequences.
When Jim returned to the United States he was assigned as a medical instructor at the USAF
Pararescue School. Within a year he became the school's Director of Operations & Flight
Training where he oversaw all aspects of student and staff scheduling and aircraft support for
training needs. Jim arranged and coordinated joint training with other organizations and
military services and arranged air operation training deployments for staff and students at
locations throughout the United States.
Several years later, Jim accepted orders to the Republic of Korea where he was positioned as
the Team Chief for a special operations pararescue team. While in this position he was
responsible for all personnel, facilities, weapons, vehicles, equipment and a $10 million budget
and supply account. His team had a special tactics commando mission and a special operations
low-level night flying mission. Jim's team worked with Army Special Forces in support of
airborne operations in South Korea, SCUBA operations off the coast of Japan and combat
search and rescue exercises in the jungles of Thailand. The team's operational area included
the Korean Peninsula and extended out into the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan.
Upon returning from his overseas assignment, Jim was assigned as the program manager for
the Air Force’s Pararescue School and its operating locations. Shortly after assuming this
position, he was also assigned the program manager duties for the Combat Control School
and its operating locations. As program manager, Jim oversaw and updated Air Force training
programs, developed new curriculum and performed instruction in the classroom and in the
field. He was a primary instructor for the Civil Air Patrol’s Pararescue Orientation course at
encampments throughout the United States. Jim eventually was medically grounded from
flying and special operation duties after line-of-duty injuries he sustained during in his military
career worsened. It was at that time he opted to retire from the United States Air Force.
During Jim's military career he developed numerous plans and programs for the European and
Pacific theaters of operation and co-authored two Air Force training manuals. He augmented
the Inspector General's staff, participated in the C-17 military aircraft flight certification
program and flew for numerous Air Force commands. Among Jim's Air Force qualifications, he
was qualified as a pararescueman, a pararescue instructor, an aircrew instructor on both fixed
wing and rotor wing aircraft, in special mission aerial gunnery and as a rescue jumpmaster. His
Army Special Forces qualifications include combat diver, dive master and military freefall
parachutist. Jim's Department of Defense certifications are handler trainer for patrol dogs,
narcotic detection dogs and explosive detection dogs and military working dog supervisor.
Upon retiring from the Air Force, Jim accepted an appointment by the Chamber of Commerce
as Chairman of the Military Affairs Committee. He oversaw various projects, subcommittees
and he spearheaded Armed Forces Day banquets, military award ceremonies and promoted
the area military organizations to the community. Jim also judged Odyssey of the Mind and
Destination Imagination competitions and sat on a scholarship awarding panel. He began a
second career, a career in the field of academics as a university counselor and advisor before
moving into education and training.
A life-long-learner, Jim has a Master of Science degree in Workforce Education & Development
and a Master of Arts degree in Multicultural Special Education, along with undergraduate
degrees in Education, Survival & Rescue Operations and Instruction of Technology and Military
Science. He completed post graduate coursework in Organizational Management and technical
training in network engineering, programing and website design and development. Jim’s
teaching experiences are in primary education, secondary education and post-secondary
education with teaching credentials and certifications in Special Education, Business Education
and Technology Education. Utilizing his education and experience, Jim consults in the area of
education, training and workforce development for government, business and industry.
In 2004, Jim returned to Wisconsin, from where he entered the military. Prior to retiring from
the Air Force Jim established a technology company. When a community need arises, his
company designs, develops and hosts websites for charitable groups and nonprofit
organizations on a pro bono basis. Even though Jim is retired from military service, he
continues to serve his country as a senior representative for a Department of the U.S. Federal
Government. He also serves as President of the Board of Directors for The Inn at Glacier
Canyon Vacation Owners Association, Inc., and sits on the Wisconsin Dells Vacation
Ownership Association's Board of Directors as its Vice President.
Jim's community involvement includes Disabled American Veterans, of which he is a lifetime
member, volunteer bell ringer for the Salvation Army during the holiday season, volunteers at
a local nursing home and a Chairperson on the Oshkosh Kennel Club as a liaison between the
club and the Wisconsin Dog Federation. A licensed pilot and motorcycle enthusiast, Jim's
affiliations also include Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, Wisconsin Education
Association Council and the United States Air Force Pararescue Association.
career when he entered the United States Air Force in the '70s. His Air Force career spanned
more than two decades and covered the globe - from flying alert in support of naval forces
tracking Soviet nuclear attack submarines during the Cold War in the Arctic region to leading
an Air Force special operations commando team in Asia.
Jim spent the first several years of his military career as a military working dog handler and
trainer handling drug dogs and bomb dogs for the Strategic Air Command and Air Training
Command. As an experienced dog trainer, he trained patrol dogs, narcotic detector dogs and
explosive detector dogs for the military and other government agencies at the Department of
Defense Canine Training Center. Shortly after his involvement training drug dogs for
“Operation Counterpush”, a drug trafficking interdiction operation, Jim applied for and was
accepted into the Air Force Pararescue qualification program, an Air Force special operations
training program similar to that of Navy SEALs and Army Rangers.
Following completion of the pararescue qualification program, Jim graduated and was assigned
to an Air Force special operations rescue squadron. It was there he completed upgrade
training, honed his tactical and medical skills, transitioned into special operation low-level night
flying and became special mission qualified.
After several years, Jim received orders to Europe where he was assigned as Director of
Logistics for an Air Force special operation pararescue team. He continued to fly and train for
combat search and rescue. While overseas, Jim supported Air Force One on its European
flights, Army Special Forces and Navy Special Warfare operations and exercises throughout
Europe and North Africa and naval operations off the coast of Iceland. He also rewrote the
team's mobility plan to enhance its world-wide deployment capabilities.
Jim was still overseas when the space shuttle exploded over the Atlantic Ocean in 1986. As
Director of Logistics, Jim was tasked to establish and develop plans and a program to acquire
and maintain emergency rescue equipment for NASA’s new astronaut rescue contingency plan.
This endeavor required Jim to design the program from the ground up with a deployment
capability to support the shuttle’s emergency landing sites in Europe and Africa for all future
space shuttle launches and reentry sequences.
When Jim returned to the United States he was assigned as a medical instructor at the USAF
Pararescue School. Within a year he became the school's Director of Operations & Flight
Training where he oversaw all aspects of student and staff scheduling and aircraft support for
training needs. Jim arranged and coordinated joint training with other organizations and
military services and arranged air operation training deployments for staff and students at
locations throughout the United States.
Several years later, Jim accepted orders to the Republic of Korea where he was positioned as
the Team Chief for a special operations pararescue team. While in this position he was
responsible for all personnel, facilities, weapons, vehicles, equipment and a $10 million budget
and supply account. His team had a special tactics commando mission and a special operations
low-level night flying mission. Jim's team worked with Army Special Forces in support of
airborne operations in South Korea, SCUBA operations off the coast of Japan and combat
search and rescue exercises in the jungles of Thailand. The team's operational area included
the Korean Peninsula and extended out into the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan.
Upon returning from his overseas assignment, Jim was assigned as the program manager for
the Air Force’s Pararescue School and its operating locations. Shortly after assuming this
position, he was also assigned the program manager duties for the Combat Control School
and its operating locations. As program manager, Jim oversaw and updated Air Force training
programs, developed new curriculum and performed instruction in the classroom and in the
field. He was a primary instructor for the Civil Air Patrol’s Pararescue Orientation course at
encampments throughout the United States. Jim eventually was medically grounded from
flying and special operation duties after line-of-duty injuries he sustained during in his military
career worsened. It was at that time he opted to retire from the United States Air Force.
During Jim's military career he developed numerous plans and programs for the European and
Pacific theaters of operation and co-authored two Air Force training manuals. He augmented
the Inspector General's staff, participated in the C-17 military aircraft flight certification
program and flew for numerous Air Force commands. Among Jim's Air Force qualifications, he
was qualified as a pararescueman, a pararescue instructor, an aircrew instructor on both fixed
wing and rotor wing aircraft, in special mission aerial gunnery and as a rescue jumpmaster. His
Army Special Forces qualifications include combat diver, dive master and military freefall
parachutist. Jim's Department of Defense certifications are handler trainer for patrol dogs,
narcotic detection dogs and explosive detection dogs and military working dog supervisor.
Upon retiring from the Air Force, Jim accepted an appointment by the Chamber of Commerce
as Chairman of the Military Affairs Committee. He oversaw various projects, subcommittees
and he spearheaded Armed Forces Day banquets, military award ceremonies and promoted
the area military organizations to the community. Jim also judged Odyssey of the Mind and
Destination Imagination competitions and sat on a scholarship awarding panel. He began a
second career, a career in the field of academics as a university counselor and advisor before
moving into education and training.
A life-long-learner, Jim has a Master of Science degree in Workforce Education & Development
and a Master of Arts degree in Multicultural Special Education, along with undergraduate
degrees in Education, Survival & Rescue Operations and Instruction of Technology and Military
Science. He completed post graduate coursework in Organizational Management and technical
training in network engineering, programing and website design and development. Jim’s
teaching experiences are in primary education, secondary education and post-secondary
education with teaching credentials and certifications in Special Education, Business Education
and Technology Education. Utilizing his education and experience, Jim consults in the area of
education, training and workforce development for government, business and industry.
In 2004, Jim returned to Wisconsin, from where he entered the military. Prior to retiring from
the Air Force Jim established a technology company. When a community need arises, his
company designs, develops and hosts websites for charitable groups and nonprofit
organizations on a pro bono basis. Even though Jim is retired from military service, he
continues to serve his country as a senior representative for a Department of the U.S. Federal
Government. He also serves as President of the Board of Directors for The Inn at Glacier
Canyon Vacation Owners Association, Inc., and sits on the Wisconsin Dells Vacation
Ownership Association's Board of Directors as its Vice President.
Jim's community involvement includes Disabled American Veterans, of which he is a lifetime
member, volunteer bell ringer for the Salvation Army during the holiday season, volunteers at
a local nursing home and a Chairperson on the Oshkosh Kennel Club as a liaison between the
club and the Wisconsin Dog Federation. A licensed pilot and motorcycle enthusiast, Jim's
affiliations also include Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, Wisconsin Education
Association Council and the United States Air Force Pararescue Association.
| _______________________________________________________________________ PO Box 105, Winnebago, WI 54985-0105 - 920.284.4879 - Jim@Morris.net |
| Biography |
