John F. Porter had been a member of the Tucson International Airport-based unit since 1987, when he came here to instruct student pilots to fly the A-7D "Corsair II" fighter.  He became an F-16 "Fighting Falcon" instructor in 1990.  In addition to his flying duties, he served as chief of instructional syllabus development for the chief of training with the 162nd Operations Group, and as chief of the International Military Student Office. 

In the latter capacity , Lt. Col. Porter worked closely with the Tucson Council for International Visitors, introducing student pilots from the Air Forces of allied nations - in Tucson for training - to people from their homelands who had become United States citizens. 

Lt. Col. Porter was born June 3, 1949, in Dover, Del., son of U.S. Air Force Maj. John H Porter, a Tuskegee Airmen.  He was a 1967 graduate of Dover High School, and began his military career as a midshipman with the U.S. Naval Academy.  He joined the U.S. Marine Corps upon graduation, and flew the F-4 "Phantom" as a Marine Corps after seven years to become a civilian pilot with Trans World Airlines, flying Lockheed L-1011 airlines.

Lt. Col. Porter played a key role in re-establishing the Chief Master Sergeant Fred Archer Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen in Tucson - the only chapter named in honor of an enlisted man.  The colonel served as the re-established chapter's president.  He was a command pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours - more than 3,000 of them in military aircraft.