December 1, 2025 - Canyon High School’s very own Lieutenant Colonel Biltz gives us an inside look into his career as not only an Air Force Pilot, but a high school JROTC instructor in a fun staff edition Q+A.
When did you join the Air Force? What inspired you to join?
- I joined the Air Force after college when I received my commission in 1989, but I’ve been wearing the uniform since I was a Sophomore in high school. I went through the same exact program I am instructing now, I was a JROTC student in Ohio in 1982. My inspiration to join the Air Force came from where I grew up. I lived in a small town in Northern Ohio right next to an airport. I would watch the planes fly over our house every day, so when I learned about the flight based program my high school JROTC offered I decided to join and ended up receiving a scholarship to pursue flying out of high school.
What college and/or university did you attend? What did you study?
- I went to college up North at Michigan Technological University on Lake Superior and received a degree in mathematics.
What is your favorite moment from your time in the Air Force?
- I was in training for most of my career teaching people how to fly. When you teach people for most of your career and hardly have opportunities to practice what you teach, it can feel unfulfilling. But, In 2000, I got a chance to go to the Middle Eastern country Oman for a year to be the Director of Operations for a C130 squadron there. While I was there, the towers fell. So, I ended up being the Director of Operations for the only C130’s for the entire region. I did everything I trained to do for real, and it was amazing.
Where has been your favorite place to live while in the Air Force?
- Del Rio, Texas. I spent 6 years flying there; the town is really supportive of the military and that is where I met my wife. There is a great lake, good people, and back in the day a border town was a very fun place to be.
What would high school you think about current you?
- I did it. You always have these goals and you never know how you are going to get there, but once you do, you ask yourself what’s next? This is what is next. I’ve always wanted to teach something, so I taught flying for years and figured out it wasn’t the flying I liked, it was the teaching. So when I retired, I thought back to the one thing I did that I enjoyed the most and meant the most to me, and it was being a student in JROTC. I applied to this position and was hired right away! I’ve been here for 13 years and I am still absolutely loving it.
How do you apply your own high school experiences and your time in the Air Force to your teaching?
- I share my life experiences with my students, because if you are not real then you won’t connect with them. I talk about times I was in the band, JROTC, growing up in northern Ohio, how I am a Cleveland Browns football fan, and when you share those experiences with them, they might also be feeling the same way. My goal is to help them believe in themselves and guide them towards their goals.
Who has inspired you the most during your time in the military?
- It’s not the people who lead you, but the people you work with. When in combat, it was the people by my side, or the maintenance crew who made sure my plane was ready to fly. It’s the people behind you, whose shoulders you stand on to get to where you need to be, that mean the most.
What is your favorite military movie?
- Dirty Dozen, because the actors in it were at the peak of their profession. Jim Brown from the Cleveland Browns was also in that movie. It is just a good, old-fashioned military movie about back when the military was actually what we all stereotypically think of the military.
What is your favorite part about being a high school JROTC instructor?
- The kids. They’re all different and they are all inspiring and fun. It’s all about finding what inspires each student individually and that’s why I love this job.
What values do you hope to instill in your cadets this year?
- Honesty and integrity. If you have those, then you can stand on them and do anything.
Thank you Lieutenant Colonel Biltz for inspiring students on their Path to Success!
Photo Descriptions
- Canyon High School JROTC instructor Lieutenant Colonel Biltz in his office at Canyon High School.
- Canyon High School JROTC instructor Lieutenant Colonel Biltz teaching his students in class.
- Canyon High School JROTC instructor Lieutenant Colonel Biltz during his final flight in the Air Force.