Faith & Family
Proud Father, Veteran and Active in his Faith
John has been married to his high school sweetheart Janna for 33 years and they have 5 children: Cody, Dylan, Matthew, Joshua and Kayleigh; and 2 grandchildren, Oliver and Amelia. Cody and Dylan are currently serving on active duty in the Air Force. John has always had a servant’s heart, which he exemplifies serving his church and community. He knows our country is in desperate need of principled and proven leadership.
Early in Life
Integrity. Service. Excellence.
When John Henley was growing up, his family, like many today, struggled to make ends meet. John’s father worked as a federal employee in San Diego, California before leaving government to start a successful small auto body repair business where John learned the value of hard work.
A few years after receiving his high school diploma, John enlisted in the United States Air Force where he served as an aircraft maintenance technician during Operation Desert Storm. He earned his degree the hard way through night school at a community college before being selected for an Air Force ROTC scholarship to Oklahoma State University where he earned his Air Force commission and a B.A. in Management.
A Proven Leader
Leading New Initiatives to Strengthen our Nation
Upon commissioning, John was assigned to the space operations career field where he served in various roles including instructor, executive assistant, operations officer and commander. John also served on the Joint Staff and in the Office of Air Force Legislative Liaison where he helped shape several Air Force legislative priorities including the creation of the United States Space Force, the 6th branch of America’s Armed Forces.
After retiring from the Air Force in 2019, John continued to serve in the national security arena working classified space programs and advising on national security matters. He also owns a small agricultural business and enjoys time on the farm with his animals and gardening. John’s catch phrase is, “Living the Dream!”, and you will often hear this in response to “How are you doing?”.
John holds graduate degrees from Trident University, National Intelligence University, The Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Policy, and was a 2015 MIT Seminar XXI Fellow.
