Thomas Eugene Lytle III, 69, of Moncks Corner, SC died suddenly on Sept. 6, 2021. Tom was born at Ft Jackson, SC, on January 3, 1952, to Thomas Eugene Lytle, Jr. and Maxine Denaro Lytle. He attended The University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, where he was a member of the UNC Fencing Team and participated in Navy ROTC. In 1972, he transferred to The Citadel, where he participated on the Gymnastics Team and Navy ROTC. He graduated from The Citadel in 1974 with a degree in Biology. Following graduation, he married the love of his life, Alice Janice Smith Lytle, then reported to the Naval Aviation Schools Command, Pensacola, FL, to begin flight training. He was awarded his wings on Oct 10, 1975. Col Lytle also graduated from Webster University with an MA degree in Business Administration, The USAF Squadron Officers School, the USAF Air Command and Staff College, the USAF Air War College, He was a Distinguished Graduate of the Joint Firepower Control Course, and graduated from the US Joint Targeting School. He served the US Navy as a pilot in Air Antisubmarine Squadron 30 flying S-3As and as a flight instructor in Training Squadron 21 flying TA-4Js. In 1981, he transferred to the US Air Force flying A-l0As in the 25th Fighter Squadron in Korea, the 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing, the “Flying Tigers”, in Louisiana, and the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing in Myrtle Beach, SC. He was the Squadron Commander of the 103rd Fighter Squadron, 111 th Fighter Wing PA Air National Guard, which he led on an Operation Southern Watch deployment for which the squadron earned the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. He served as the A-10 Weapons and Tactics Officer at HQ US Central Command Air Forces. Tom retired from the USAF in 2004 as the Deputy Director of Air National Guard Forces, Air Combat Command. He went on to work another 10 years at HQ Joint Forces Command and the US Joint Staff as an Air Mission Director. He was a life member of the Association of Citadel Men.
Tom was preceded in death by his wife Janice. He is survived by two daughters: Katherine Collins and Jennifer Krenzer of Burlington, NC; three brothers: Capt Richard Albert Lytle, John Harry Lytle, and Brig Gen (ret) Robert Kenyon Lytle, ID Army National Guard and his mother Maxine Denaro Lytle.
Posted in: From his brothers
Posted on: 2021-09-13
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