Worthe Holt, Jr.

Aviation came quickly to Worthe Holt, starting in a Piper Super Cub. He read as much as he could about flying, trapesed down to the Indy FSDO and took the ground school test – and passed! This was followed by flying lessons at 15 , and gaining his license before college.

While at Indiana University, he helped support himself as a flight instructor and commercial pilot. But medicine was calling and between Medical Corps at IU School of Medicine and the Indiana Air National Guard he made his way to the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine at Brooks and began serving as a Flight Surgeon. Then, Lt. Holt was selected to attend USAF Flight School and get his wings!

As a Distinguished Graduate, Lt. Worthe proceeded to McConnel AFB and the F-4 Phantom training. He got both the top Academic, Top Gun, and Top Aircraft Commander awards.

Now a Captain, Worthe quickly deployed to Europe and the Middle East, flying the F-4 Phantom and later the F-16 Fighting Falcon (Viper). In this newer aircraft he was again the Top Gun on multiple occasions and earned The Air Medal and Legion of Merit. His logbook as over 2,000 hours in those fighters.

Yet, medicine was still a prime motivator in his life, and he both wrote the regulations for and then established the USAF Pilot Physician Program. This put him in the very rare position of being both a rated Command Pilot and Chief Flight Surgeon! Lt. Col. Worthe Holt was now Commanding a Medical Group AND flying as a Combat Ready fighter pilot. Serving as the Assistant Adjutant General for the Minnesota National Guard, Col. Holt was promoted to BGen while working with both F-16 and C-130 Hercules squadrons.

In June 2014, Major General Worthe Holt, based in Germany as the assistant to the Commander United States Africa Command,  held a span of commands that included economic aid, international development and, of course, medical and health diplomacy in an environment that included direct threats from: Al Qaida, Al Shabab, ISIS and others, while also battling the medical threats of Malaria, Ebola, Zika, pandemics, HIV, and simple lack of food or water.

And while coordinating Special Ops, Seals, Breen Beret, FBI, and State Departmet teams – every looking for altitude, he Climbed Mt Kilimanjaro! On May 11, 2017, he Retired Active Duty from Africa Command.

In his civilian life, Dr. Holt recently retired as a Chief Medical Officer for Wellvana Health, building and operating physician-led, high-performing, clinically integrated networks. Worth served as Vice President, Deputy Chief Medical officer of Humana, Inc. , was President of the Indiana Medical Licensing Board and is a Past President of the Indiana Academy of Family Physicians. He still volunteers with Franciscan Health.

MGen Holt has over 10,000 hours in numerous aircraft types, currently flying an Aeronca Champ and a twin jet Cessna Citation. In between those, he operates a Diamond DA-40 motor glider trainer. Worthe continues to be an active Instructor – CF II and he loves to show others the fascinating world of aviation. Worthe believes in that contagious enthusiasm that “infects” those exposed to aviation!