News Release

John Buehler Named Aviation Chief for National Park Service

John Buehler will begin his new position as aviation branch chief in January 2019.

NPS \ C. BOEHLE

News Release Date: December 3, 2018

Contact: Tina Boehle, 208.387.5875

John Buehler has been named as the new branch chief for the National Park Service (NPS) Aviation Program, succeeding Margaret “Meg” Gallagher, who is retiring in January 2019. John is currently a senior special agent with the Bureau of Land Management’s Office of Law Enforcement and Security.

John began his federal career as a tank platoon leader in Friedberg, Germany in 1994. During his three years in Germany he served as a platoon leader, tank company executive officer, headquarters company executive officer and battalion supply officer. Next, John completed the Aviation Officer Advanced Course at Fort Rucker, Alabama and was assigned to Fort Carson, Colorado where he served on brigade staff as an operations officer.

After leaving active duty, John was hired as a Six Sigma Black Belt for General Electric in Gaithersburg, Maryland. In this role he worked on high level projects for the CEO and senior leadership team. During his time at General Electric John decided that pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree would best serve him moving forward in his career. Leaving business school took John to Washington, DC where he served as an auditor for the General Accounting Office for over two years. John then transferred to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Officer of the Inspector General as a special agent, investigating allegation of misconduct, fraud, waste and abuse.

Looking to move back west, John joined the Bureau of Land Management in Boise in July 2009. He has investigated dozens of cases as an internal affairs agent and served as a headquarters staff agent, managing the BLM’s firearms, TASER, use of force, vehicle, control tactics, FOIA, and body-worn camera programs. Additionally, John has authored dozens of responses to Congressional members and committees, department auditors, and BLM senior management.

John continues to serve in the Army Reserves and was activated three times as the Department of Defense Liaison to the National Interagency Fire Center in 2014, 2015, and 2017.

“I look forward to having the opportunity to work with John. He brings a variety of experience in operations and management as well as a creative outlook that should serve our aviation program well,” stated Fire and Aviation Division Chief, Bill Kaage.

John is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, with a degree in civil engineering, math, and law. He received a Master of Business Administration from Vanderbilt University’s Owen School of Management where he completed a dual concentration in finance and operations. John is a private pilot, and likes to hunt, fish, ski, and be outdoors with his wife Rhonda, and two 14-year old sons, Jack and Ryan.

John will begin his new position on January 6, 2019.

*A larger version of the image is available at http://go.nps.gov/jbuehler.