Ernesto P. Hernandez III, USAF

United States Air Force, 1988 - 2016 (ret.)
AFSC 16PX Political-Military Officer

Ernesto P. Hernandez III is the Founder and Executive Director of Wounded Paw Project.  A nonprofit that rescues shelters dogs and trains them as service dogs - "Saving a Paw, to Save a Life" - Giving them a second Tail as a Service Dog.  Previously he was the Executive Director (National Adjutant) of the Military Order of the Purple Heart and the primary liaison with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Congress, Department of Defense and Military Services and Veteran Service Organizations. 

Ernesto had a distinguished career in the US Air Force; graduate of the US Air Force Academy in 1994, with a B.S. and later earned an MBA. 

He served multiple tours in the Middle East in a wide range of assignments after 9/11.  Ernesto was wounded on March 26, 2008, when he used his own body to shield the occupants of an open bunker from indirect fire from mortars and rockets at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Phoenix, Iraq.  Retired from the Air Force in 2016 and focuses on assisting all veterans and their family.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Full Bio:

Ernesto P. Hernandez III is the Founder and Executive Director of Wounded Paw Project.  A nonprofit that rescues shelters dogs and trains them as service dogs - "Saving a Paw, to Save a Life" - Giving them a second Tail as a Service Dog.  Previously he was the National Adjutant and Executive Director of the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH), responsible to the National Leadership for the day-to-day operations of MOPH Headquarters, oversight of the National Legislative and Public Relations programs, and membership services to over 46,000 members globally. On behalf of the National Commander, he served as the primary MOPH liaison with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Congress, the Department of Defense and Military Services, Veteran Service Organizations, and the MOPH Service Foundation.

Ernesto had a distinguished career in the US Air Force, graduating from the United States Air Force Academy in 1994, with a B.S. in Management and later earned a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.

Over the course of his career, he held numerous command and staff positions. His assignments included the Air Education and Training Command, and the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, where he directed Air Force, joint service and international programs with a $7.5 billion annual budget. Assigned to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, he was detailed to the Department of State (DOS) as Senior Military Advisor to the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs; as Senior Military Advisor to the DOS Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and Office of Iraqi Affairs; and as Senior Counter Narcotics Officer assigned to the Office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, where he coordinated inter-agency policy and programs in support of Mexico and Central America. He also served as a Division Chief at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, providing expert advice on nuclear stockpiles and weapons of mass destruction.

Ernesto served multiple tours in the Middle East in a wide range of assignments, most notably as Executive Officer, Strategy, Plans and Assessments with Multi-National Force Iraq from 2004-2005, and as Director of Security Assistance for the Multi-National Security Transition Command in 2008, where he was handpicked by the Chief of Staff, Strategic Plans and Programs to manage and acquisition the world’s largest foreign military sales program ($9 billion). Ernesto was wounded on March 26, 2008, when he used his own body to shield the occupants of an open bunker from indirect fire from mortars and rockets at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Phoenix, Iraq.

Retired from the Air Force in 2013, Ernesto spent the next two years focused on rehabilitation from his injuries and spending time with his family, following years of combat deployments. Concurrently, he became active in community youth programs as a football coach. He also helped to found non-profit the Loudon County Makersmiths.

In public service, Ernesto was selected as a Term Member on the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR); is a member of International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS); and, is a member of the Council on Emerging National Security Affairs (CENSA). In 2005, he was the recipient of an American Marshall Memorial Fellowship; In 2007, a Termezzo Young Leaders; in 2008 Atlantik-B-brücke e.v.; and in 2009, the Aspen Institute Socrates Society.