Donte Lofton enlisted in the United States Air Force on March 5, 1986, as an Aircraft Jet Engine Mechanic, where he was assigned to the 27th Aircraft Maintenance Unit (AMU). In 1989, he cross-trained into Command & Control, joining the 463rd Airlift Squadron. During this time, he played a key role in supporting aircraft sent on Operation Just Cause, which occurred between December 1989 and January 1990.
In December 1990, he was deployed to Operation Desert Shield/Storm, contributing to the successful mission efforts in the Middle East. In 1992, he was reassigned to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, where he further honed his expertise. He later moved to Keesler Air Force Base in 1994 before his final assignment to the Pentagon in December 1998. While at the Pentagon, he was initially part of the HQ Air Force Operations Center, and following the September 11 attacks, was reassigned to the Alternate Air Force Operations Center. He retired from active duty in April 2006, with over 20 years of dedicated service.
After retiring from the Air Force, Mr. Lofton became a contractor at the Joint Staff at the Pentagon before joining the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) in 2007 as a Human Intelligence (HUMINT) Subject Matter Expert (SME). Four years later, he transitioned to a HUMINT SME role at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).
In 2014, he took on an educational role as a teacher at the Boys Sacred Life Academy, shaping the next generation of leaders. He then joined the Defense Commissary Agency (DECA) at Joint Base Andrews in 2016, before being assigned to the National Defense University (NDU), where he continues his professional work.
With a diverse background spanning military, government contracting, intelligence, education, and defense roles, Mr. Lofton has demonstrated leadership and expertise across various sectors.