Don Winner

Background
By background, Don Winner is a retired U.S. Air Force veteran and professional intelligence analyst directly trained by the NSA, CIA, and DIA. He worked at the NSA for two years as a Korean cryptologic linguist and intelligence analyst. He graduated from DIA’s Joint Military Intelligence College with a Master of Science in Strategic Intelligence. He spent five years in Special Operations, working directly with Tier 1 military units and CIA elements in Latin America on real-world operations including hostage rescue.
He also worked as a defense contractor supporting intelligence collection efforts throughout Latin America. Later, he worked as an investigative journalist, contributing to the capture of serial killers operating in Latin America.
Don Winner now applies these skills and analytical disciplines to the study of near-death experiences, focusing on pattern recognition, credibility assessment, consistency evaluation, and anomaly detection—treating NDEs as large-scale experiential data rather than ideology, mysticism, or folklore.

Chronology

Korean Linguist
Don Winner joined the U.S. Air Force straight out of high school in 1980 and attended the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) at the Presidio of Monterey in Monterey, California. DLIFLC is the U.S. military’s primary institution for training linguists across all service branches. He attended for one year, throughout 1981.

Off to "Goodbuddy"
Upon completion of language training at DLI, he was assigned to Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas, in January 1982. Linguists are typically sent to Goodfellow to learn how to apply their language skills in real-world intelligence operations. Training covered signals intelligence, analysis, reporting, targeting, and mission systems.

Osan Air Base, Korea — “Skivvy Nine”
Following Goodfellow, Don Winner was assigned to Osan Air Base in Korea and to the 6903rd Electronic Security Squadron, known at the time as “Skivvy Nine.” The unit was widely regarded as the most respected intelligence unit in the Pacific theater. It handled intelligence operations, linguist missions, SIGINT collection, analysis, and real-time support to U.S. and allied forces.
The unit had a reputation for high standards, long shifts, difficult missions, and exceptionally skilled linguists and analysts. Don Winner spent two years there on back-to-back remote tours. Those years significantly shaped his analytical approach, particularly his ability to detect patterns and separate signal from noise.

National Security Agency (NSA)
After Korea, he was assigned to the National Security Agency as an analyst. Intelligence from collection missions flowed in continuously, and analysts were responsible for determining its meaning and relevance.
NSA operated a “professionalization program,” offering extensive training to improve skills related to intelligence collection, analysis, processing, and reporting. Don Winner learned on the job while also taking every formal training course available. He additionally worked in the National SIGINT Operations Center (NSOC) as a watch officer on the North Korean desk.

Transition to Spanish
In the spring of 1986—during the Iran-Contra era under President Reagan and prior to the end of the Cold War—the United States became increasingly concerned about communist influence in Central America. Nicaragua was under Daniel Ortega’s leadership, and Cuba was supplying weapons to guerrilla forces in El Salvador.
Although the U.S. military had many native Spanish speakers, very few were trained SIGINT professionals. As a result, Don Winner returned to DLI to study Spanish, followed by additional training at Goodfellow. He also attended Survival School in Spokane, Washington, in preparation for flying missions aboard C 130 aircraft.

Howard Air Force Base, Panama
Don Winner flew Peacetime Aerial Reconnaissance Program (PARPRO) missions as a Spanish linguist aboard modified C 130 aircraft equipped with the Comfy Levi and Senior Scout SIGINT collection systems. These systems involved specialized modular installations on existing aircraft.
During this assignment, the United States conducted Operation Just Cause, invading Panama to remove Manuel Noriega, a former CIA informant whose usefulness ended with the Cold War. Don Winner has noted that he did not need to “invade” Panama because he was already stationed there.
While assigned to Howard AFB, he completed an Associate Degree in Intelligence Collection from the Community College of the Air Force by attending night school on base.

Fort Meade, Maryland
In 1990, he was assigned to the 6994th Electronic Security Squadron at Fort Meade, Maryland. The unit had a worldwide deployment mission and operated the Senior Scout collection system. This assignment expanded his global operational focus.
The unit’s unofficial motto was “Anytime, Anywhere, For Per Diem.” In one year alone, Don Winner spent more than 300 days deployed, including 90 days in Saudi Arabia flying RC 135 Rivet Joint aircraft following Desert Storm. He also flew AWACS drug interdiction missions in the Caribbean.
During one exercise, he deployed as an intelligence liaison aboard the USS America (CV 66), a Kitty Hawk–class supercarrier, where he experienced both a carrier landing and catapult launch.
While at Fort Meade, he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business through night school.

DIA Joint Military Intelligence College (JMIC)
In 1994, Don Winner was selected to attend the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Joint Military Intelligence College Postgraduate Intelligence Program (PGIP), earning a Master of Science in Strategic Intelligence. His class consisted of approximately 150 senior military intelligence officers, and he was one of only six enlisted personnel selected.
The program is considered a capstone education for intelligence professionals and is typically required for officers seeking promotion to Colonel (O 6). He graduated with the second-highest GPA in the class in the summer of 1995.

Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH)
Following graduation, Don Winner was assigned to Special Operations Command South in Panama. He served as the SIGINT specialist within the J2 (Intelligence) section, working directly for the command’s leadership.
As the SIGINT collection manager and requirements officer, his responsibility was to ensure that Special Forces operators from all branches deploying downrange had the intelligence support they required for their missions. This five-year assignment was the most challenging and rewarding of his career, and he earned the trust and respect of the Special Operations community. He retired from active duty after completing a 20 year military career.

Civilian Military Contractor
After retirement, Don Winner was hired by a civilian defense contractor to provide intelligence support services to multiple U.S. government agencies throughout Latin America. The contract ran through the summer of 2005.

Investigative Journalist
In mid 2004, he founded the website panama-guide.com, originally intended to provide English-language news to the expatriate community in Panama. The site grew into the most widely read and respected English-language news source in the country.
Through investigative reporting, Don Winner played a key role in the arrest of multiple serial killers, including William Dathan “Wild Bill” Holbert and others. These investigations led to appearances on CBS 48 Hours (twice), Dateline, Nightline, the Discovery Channel, the BBC, and other international media outlets.

Back Home
In 2013, with his parents in their eighties, Don Winner decided to return to the United States so his children could spend meaningful time with their grandparents. The family relocated to the Hudson Valley region of New York.

Sales To Pay The Bills:
After returning to the U.S., he worked in commission-based sales—selling automobiles, solar systems, replacement windows, and home remodeling services. His background in intelligence analysis translated naturally into a customer-focused sales approach centered on identifying and solving client problems.

After the death of his mother in 2017, his father experienced a near-death episode. When Don Winner reached age 62 and applied for Social Security, he transitioned fully into near-death experience research, which he now pursues full time.

*The above was re-written by AI from Don's Site Biography. Site link below.