Joe Macklin is the State Director, United States Air Force - Civil Air Patrol, Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana. He is responsible for advice, liaison, and oversight of the Montana Wing, Civil Air Patrol.

Lt Col Macklin was born in 1957 in Fairbanks, Alaska. He graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science degree.

Joe met his wife, Karen, shortly after graduation from the Academy. They headed south to Del Rio, Texas for Undergraduate Pilot Training where Joe graduated with honors. Their first assignment kept them in Del Rio where Joe was both a maintenance officer and flight instructor teaching young students how to handle the mighty T-37 Tweet.

Their second assignment was flying the C-130 in Frankfurt, Germany during which Joe’s travels took him all over Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. In 1987 Joe and Karen returned to the Air Force Academy where he taught cadets to fly the T-41. While in Colorado, Joe had the privilege of being a Presidential Advance Agent providing operational support for Air Force One.

Their fourth assignment took them back to Texas with Joe instructing in the T-38 and T-1 aircraft at Reese Air Force Base where he also served as the Wing Executive Officer. Moving to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in 1994 opened Joe’s eyes to the adventures of flying an oak desk. While on 12^{th Air Force staff, he traveled throughout Central and South America as a USSOUTHCOM mobility planner and airlift operations chief.}

The itch to fly again led them back to Del Rio in 1997 with Joe instructing as a T-37 ‘grey beard’. From there they moved to Fort Worth, Texas where Joe served as an Air Force liaison to the Southwest Region, Civil Air Patrol for five years.

Joe and Karen have raised three lovely girls, Emily, Kristin and Kathryn. Emily is a graduate from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. Kristin is a sophomore at Montana State University in Bozeman. And Kathryn is a junior in high school.

The colonel is a command pilot with more than 6,000 flying hours in eight aircraft. His military decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, and Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster.

He is a graduate of Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff College, General Aviation Accident Investigations Course, Mountain Flying Course, and Inland Search and Rescue Coordinator Course. His FAA certifications include ATP, AMEL, ASEL, Commercial Instrument, B-737 Type Rating, and FAA Class 2 Medical.

(Current as of Mar 2007)