Maj. Dan Woodall of Demorest has retired from the U.S. Air Force after 20 years of service.

Woodall is the son of Danny and Martha Woodall of Demorest. He is a native of Habersham County who graduated from Habersham Central High School in 1986 and the University of Georgia in 1991.

Woodall retires as a command pilot with more than 3,700 flight hours, including 40 combat sorties into Iraq. His major decorations include three Meritorious Service Medals, Air Medal, two Aerial Achievement Medals, two Air Force Commendation Medal and Navy Commendation Medal.

Woodall began his Air Force career in 1992 at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, as an acquisition project manager. He later attended pilot training and earned his wings in 1996. His first flying assignment was at Dover AFB, Delaware, flying the C-5 Galaxy aircraft on worldwide missions.

In 2000, he was assigned with a Navy flying squadron at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Florida, as an instructor pilot. He served as academic and flight instructor and trained more than 700 pilots, later returning to Dover as a C-5 instructor pilot.

Woodall completed a four-month deployment in Qatar and oversaw the scheduling and execution of over 4,000 airlift missions in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. His efforts helped transport 120,000 soldiers and 50,000 tons of war material.

Woodall served as commander for the Operational Test organization in Marietta from 2006-10, overseeing the $11 billion modernization of the C-5 by flying in more than 70 test flights, evaluating new engines, avionics and 70 other modifications.

Woodall spent his last year in the Air Force as chief of the Air Mobility Control Center at Osan Air Base, South Korea. While there, he directed the day-to-day operations of more than 2,000 military and commercial aircraft and contributed to humanitarian aide airlifted to Japan following the 2011 earthquake.

He now lives in Cobb County with his wife, Kara, and their three children, Ryan, Danielle and Chloe.