John Early

John Early joined the U.S. Army in 1963, where he volunteered for, and passed selection for, the United States Army Special Forces, also known as the "Green Berets." After serving for twelve years in the Special Forces, including three and a half tours in Vietnam as an enlisted soldier and officer, Early received a direct commission to Lieutenant and completed his bachelor's degree in political science and communications from Southern Illinois University. During his Army career, he was decorated on several occasions for his actions under fire and was wounded four times.

Early later finished graduate school at the University of South Carolina and started a small skydiving business in New Mexico that evolved into a company that supplied aircraft and technical advice to motion picture companies. The company's film credits include "Red Dawn," "Uncommon Valor," and the "Rambo" series of films.

In 1989, Early embarked on a career as a pilot that began with airlines in the United States and continued with a number of companies in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and various parts of Africa. Early worked for several years as a "bush pilot" on contracts with the United Nations and The International Committee of the Red Cross in Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Rwanda, the Congo, and several other African nations. It was during this time that Early was hijacked and held hostage by a rebel group while managing a medical evacuation program for the Red Cross in southern Sudan. After being extricated from that "interesting" adventure by Governor Richardson, Early has continued in aviation, except for a short hiatus working with the Department of Military Affairs and the New Mexico National Guard.