Thomas Willard Wood, Colonel, USAF, Retired, was born, and raised on a dairy farm in Amalga, Utah. He earned his bachelor's degree in Industrial Management and his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force R.O.T.C. program at Utah State University in 1962. He received his master's degree in Personnel Management at Central Michigan University in 1974.

He entered the Air Force in May 1962 and attended undergraduate navigator training school at James Connally AFB, Waco, Texas (Class 63-16). He joined the 86th MAS at Travis AFB where he was an instructor navigator on both C-130E and C-141A aircraft. On April 9, 1965, he was a navigator on the first C-130 Hercules to fly a non-stop trans-Pacific flight, from Tachikawa AB, Japan to Travis AFB, California, flying 4603 nautical miles in 14 hours and 11 minutes.

He logged over 5000 flying hours is 28 different aircraft, including 625-night combat hours in AC-119 Shadow Gunships in Vietnam where he received the Distinguished Flying Cross. He served at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., from 1978 to 1983 in the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Legislative Liaison. He was awarded Navigator wings from the Royal New Zealand Air Force while serving as Air Attach?©, U.S. Embassy, Wellington New Zealand and Dean of Attach?© Corps for Australia and New Zealand. He accompanied the Governor General of New Zealand to the South Pole in December 1985. Colonel Wood was the first Air Force officer to serve as a crewmember aboard the US Coast Guard Tall Ship, Eagle.

Retired at the rank of Colonel in 1989 at Camp Smith, Hawaii. His awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and 10 Air Medals.

After retirement from the United States Air Force in 1989, he worked at the Hawaii Medical Service Association until 1991 when he joined CVS Health Inc. in San Antonio, Texas where he served in several management positions and as a Strategic Account Executive until his retirement in 2009. Colonel Wood is a High Priest in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serving as a Stake High Counselor, Stake music chairman, Bishopric 1st Counselor and Ward Clerk. He has served as a church organist for over 65 years. He is married to Charlene Taulbee Wood. They have seven children, 18 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. They make their home in San Antonio, Texas.