Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Middle Tennessee State University and the Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center honored Air Force Col. Aaron Reid, a 2002 MTSU Aerospace graduate, on March 17, 2026, for his distinguished service to our nation. Col. Reid, who retires in April, was recognized with a commemorative brick at our Veterans Memorial and by the Nashville Predators as one of its Ford Heroes of the Game.
If you've visited the Business and Aerospace Building, you may have seen the now-iconic photo of Col. Reid displaying a MTSU flag in the cockpit of his F-15E during an aerial refueling over Iraq. He is a senior pilot with 1,700 hours in the T-37, T-38, and F-15E. He has flown combat missions in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom and has also flown multiple Operation Noble Eagle sorties.
He now serves as commander of Civil Air Patrol-United States Air Force at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. In this position, he provides Air Force advice, assistance, liaison and oversight to the CAP, the volunteer civilian auxiliary of the Air Force. His command operates from 50 locations nationwide, providing oversight of CAP’s 1,500 units and fleet of 550 light aircraft. Before assuming his current position, Col. Reid served as a Dean and professor at the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies. In addition to his degree from MTSU in aerospace maintenance, he holds three master's degrees and a Ph.D.
Officers and cadets from Tennessee Wing, Civil Air Patrol, and Air Force ROTC Detachment 790, participated in the MTSU ceremonies. A native of Hendersonville, Tennessee, Col. Reid's first aviation experiences came as a CAP cadet in the Sumner County Composite Squadron and he earned his Air Force commission in Detachment 790.
Middle Tennessee State University and the Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center honored Air Force Col. Aaron Reid, a 2002 MTSU Aerospace graduate, on March 17, 2026, for his distinguished service to our nation. Col. Reid, who retires in April, was recognized with a commemorative brick at our Veterans Memorial and by the Nashville Predators as one of its Ford Heroes of the Game.
If you've visited the Business and Aerospace Building, you may have seen the now-iconic photo of Col. Reid displaying a MTSU flag in the cockpit of his F-15E during an aerial refueling over Iraq. He is a senior pilot with 1,700 hours in the T-37, T-38, and F-15E. He has flown combat missions in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom and has also flown multiple Operation Noble Eagle sorties.
He now serves as commander of Civil Air Patrol-United States Air Force at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. In this position, he provides Air Force advice, assistance, liaison and oversight to the CAP, the volunteer civilian auxiliary of the Air Force. His command operates from 50 locations nationwide, providing oversight of CAP’s 1,500 units and fleet of 550 light aircraft. Before assuming his current position, Col. Reid served as a Dean and professor at the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies. In addition to his degree from MTSU in aerospace maintenance, he holds three master's degrees and a Ph.D.
Officers and cadets from Tennessee Wing, Civil Air Patrol, and Air Force ROTC Detachment 790, participated in the MTSU ceremonies. A native of Hendersonville, Tennessee, Col. Reid's first aviation experiences came as a CAP cadet in the Sumner County Composite Squadron and he earned his Air Force commission in Detachment 790.
