SUBMITTED NEWS RELEASE
LAS VEGAS–The re-election campaign of U.S. Senator Harry Reid today announced the endorsement of Colonel Howard D. (Dave) Belote, recently retired Commander, 99th Air Base Wing, Nellis Air Force Base. Belote recently retired from a long and decorated military career that began when he entered Air Force Officer Training in 1985 in Virginia and culminated this month here in Nevada.
“In my experience, no one has supported the military in Nevada more effectively than Senator Reid. He brought American Recovery and Reinvestment Act dollars to Nevada installations to upgrade aging infrastructure, and he worked with military leaders to simultaneously promote clean energy while protecting Nevada’s important role in military readiness,” said Belote of Reid’s leadership in the U.S. Senate.
During Operation Iraqui Freedom, Belote commanded the USCENTCOM Air Component Commander’s Element in Tel Aviv, Israel (January to April 2003). From September 2004 to February 2005, he commanded the 3d Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group in Baghdad, serving simultaneously as air liaison officer and deputy effects coordinator for Multi-National Corps–Iraq.
“Leveraging his leadership position in the Senate, Sen. Reid prevented the closure of the Hawthorne Army Depot and the realignment of the Nevada Air National Guard. In addition to protecting those jobs, Nellis Air Force base will gain more than 1,000 military and civilian personnel and the Fallon Naval Air Station will continue to serve as the Fleet Readiness Center for the West. Most importantly to me, he supported veterans and families with improved health care and education benefits—my son is one of many attending college through the post-9/11 GI Bill. I’m proud to stand with Harry Reid,” said Belote.
In addition to his military service, Belote has published articles on political-military leadership, military strategy, air power theory, and space policy in Strategic Review, Airpower Journal and Joint Force Quarterly. His most recent articles have analyzed air power’s contributions to 21st century maneuver and counterinsurgency warfare.
