Wirt County High School graduate Alex Trembly with his wife Kaitlynn, a Parkersburg South High School graduate. (Photo provided)

LAS VEGAS – The letter from first grade still exists – proof that Maj. Alex Trembly is living out his dream career.

The 2011 graduate from Wirt County High School is an F-16 Viper (officially named by the Air Force as the Fighting Falcon) pilot, who was assigned to the 55th Fighter Squadron and recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroism and bravery he exemplified while flying during Operation Midnight Hammer.

As part of the Twelve-Day War during June of 2025, the United States Air Force and Navy attacked three nuclear facilities in Iran under the code name Operation Midnight Hammer.

Trembly is an instructor for the USAF Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas.

“I always wanted to fly – I don’t remember ever wanting to do anything else,” he said. “My mom has a piece of paper that she kept from when I was in first grade asking us what we wanted to do for our dream job. I wrote fighter pilot. Thankfully, I got to do it.”

Gen. Adrian Spain, left, commander of Air Combat Command, presents Maj. Alexander J. Trembly, an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot assigned to the 55th Fighter Squadron, with the Distinguished Flying Cross during a ceremony at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., May 5, 2026. Trembly received the decoration for the heroism and bravery he exemplified while flying during Operation Midnight Hammer. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Nyanda Walker-Potts)

Trembly’s introduction into the United States armed forces began shortly after high school graduation when he enrolled into the U.S. Air Force Academy. Another 15 years later, he was reflecting on how someone from such a small community had made such a major impact as one of the flight leaders for the F-16s and the nation’s involvement with last year’s armed conflict between Israel and Iran.

“I just want to thank all the people that played a part in making me who I am today that were from Wirt County,” Trembly said. “Wirt County is a small community, and there are lots of people who helped raise me to become who I am today, and taught me along the way. I lost touch with a lot of people, and I would like to let them know that.”

From Miss Lane, who was his elementary teacher, to Miss Hickman in middle school to his high school math teacher Miss Lipps, they all played a role.

“With Wirt County being such a small school, I think I was the only kid in calculus, but Miss Lipps taught me calculus one on one. That was very helpful because at the Air Force Academy I was not learning it for the first time.”

As a student-athlete in high school, Trembly started at cornerback, played “some” slot receiver and was a placekicker on the football team, started as a guard in basketball and ran the shuttle hurdle relay as a member of the track team during his freshman year.

Alex Trembly is greeted by his two children. (Photo provided)

During his senior year at the U.S. Air Force Academy, he was selected for pilot training. After graduation, he spent 13 months in Columbus, Miss. While in Columbus, he found out he would be flying the F-16.

Training for introduction to fighter fundamentals took place in Randolph, Texas, before actually learning to fly an F-16.

Additional operation stops included Spokane, Wash., Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina, Osan Air Force Base in South Korea, then to Las Vegas for weapons school for six months in 2024.

“Some things flying the F-16 came naturally, some of them took extra practice,” Trembly said. “I was fortunate to have some flying experience with pilot training, so that helped.”

As for Operation Midnight Hammer, Trembly was designated as a weapons officer, which was the lead person for mission planning. As part of his assignment with the 55th Fighter Squadron, he coordinated with those in charge of maintenance and munitions – ensuring that weapons are built and loaded on the squadron’s aircraft in addition to planning aircraft tactics.

Trembly and his wife, Kaitlynn, a Parkersburg South High School graduate, have two children. In nine years, he will have 20 years in the service so he can retire with a pension. He doesn’t have any plans cemented for life in the civilian world.

“Definitely something with aviation, because that’s what I know,” he said.

As for the keepsake which remains in his mother’s possession, Trembly stayed true to his dream.

“It’s definitely everything I thought it would be,” he said. “There is a lot of work that goes into it, don’t get me wrong. Maybe if we don’t count my last deployment, there has not been a single time that I’ve taken off in an F-16 and put the gear up that I have not had a good time flying the F-16.”

Kerry Patrick can be reached at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com.