Local Master Aviator takes final flight, concludes 43-year military career

STEAD, Nev. – Chief Warrant Officer 5 Daniel Walters took to the skies in a military aircraft for the final time this week, closing out a 43-year Army aviation career marked by combat deployments, leadership in aviation safety, and over 5,200 flight hours serving both the nation and Nevada.

Walters first planned to join the Air National Guard because he wanted to fly. But after talking with a recruiter, he found out the Army National Guard also flew helicopters.

That conversation changed the course of his life. Soon after, Walters applied to Army flight school and said it was the best decision he ever made.

He started his military career in 1984 as a 19D Cavalry Scout with the Nevada Army National Guard in Yerington, then moved into Army aviation in 1986.

Over the next forty years, Walters flew many types of helicopters, starting with the UH-1 Huey and later flying the CH-54 Skycrane, CH-47 Chinook, and UH-72A Lakota.

During his career, Walters became known as an expert in aviation safety and standardization, holding leadership roles at the company, battalion, brigade and state levels.

His experience led him to serve simultaneously as both the Nevada National Guard State Standardization Officer and the National Guard Bureau’s Western Region Standardization Officer.

In the past three and a half years, Walters worked as an Aviation Safety Inspector for U.S. Army Forces Command. He traveled widely to check aviation units and help maintain readiness and safety standards.

His career also took him on operational and combat deployments worldwide. Walters deployed to Afghanistan twice for Operation Enduring Freedom, serving in Kandahar and at Forward Operating Base Shank.

He also supported operational and humanitarian missions in Panama and Antigua, and spent time in South Korea training the Korean Air Force on the CH-47D Chinook.

For his last military flight, Walters flew over places that held special meaning for him during his career. His route took him over Truckee, around Lake Tahoe, north to Thrill Peak, over his hometown of Genoa, through Carson City, and back to Reno-Stead Airport for his final landing.

By the end of his final flight today, Walters had logged over 5,200 flight hours in his career, including more than 970 hours in combat.

Walters’ decades of aviation service directly contributed to the readiness and sustainment of Army aviation operations, reinforcing the Nevada National Guard’s ability to maintain trained, lethal and mission-ready aviation forces capable of supporting domestic and overseas operations.

Walters was joined during the flight by Maj. Zackary Taylor-Warren, who served as his copilot for the final mission. Taylor-Warren said Walters had a big influence on him as both an aviator and a leader.

“It was an honor to fly with him on his last flight,” Taylor-Warren said. “He’s taught me so much. I hope that I can carry on the legacy and teach other pilots in my future.”

Looking back on his last military landing, Walters said leaving the Army will be emotional, but he still plans to keep flying.

“The hardest part was landing,” Walters said. “I’m ready to retire. I’m just not ready to stop flying.”

Although he is retiring from military aviation, Walters plans to keep serving his community as a pilot for the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office. He also looks forward to working more on his family ranch and traveling with his loved ones.

Walters marked this milestone with family members who had supported him over the years, including his wife of 31 years, Sheri, his daughters, Shaylynn and Whitney, his mother, Marilyn Harris, his sister, Dana Reed, and his brother, David Walters.