Colonel Joe Wells commissioned from the United States Military Academy in 2004, earning both the prestigious Truman and Marshall Scholarships. After completing graduate studies in the United Kingdom, he joined the 173rd Airborne Brigade and led a rifle platoon in Afghanistan's highly contested Korengal Valley. He then transitioned to the 3-2 Stryker Brigade as a planner before taking command of an infantry company in Diyala, Iraq.
Following his command, Colonel Wells expanded his international experience by serving with the 11th Air Mobile Brigade in the Netherlands and as the operations officer for the 4-7 Cavalry Squadron in South Korea. He then relocated to Hawaii, serving first as the operations officer for the 3/25 Infantry Brigade and later as the chief of operations for the 25th Infantry Division. Moving to the National Capital Region, he broadened his strategic expertise as an interagency fellow in the Department of State’s Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs and as a strategic planner for the Joint Staff (J5).
Upon transferring to Fort Cavazos (formerly Fort Hood), Texas, Colonel Wells commanded the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment and served as the G3 operations officer for the 1st Cavalry Division. A 2025 graduate of the Advanced Strategic Leadership Studies Program, he also shared his expertise as an instructor at the School of Advanced Military Studies in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Colonel Wells is married and has three children.