Paul Gottwig was born and raised in Washington state. He enlisted in the US Army as a 31V Tactical Communications Operator/Mechanic in 1986 with subsequent acceptance to the Warrant Officer Flight Training program.
Paul retired from active duty after 20 years of service and began work with General Electric Corporate Air Transport as a helicopter captain in the S-76B and AW139 helicopters. He also served with the Eastern Region Helicopter Council as the IFR Committee Chairman and on the board of directors.
In 2014 Paul was hired into the Los Angeles County Fire Department and began work as Pilot – Fire Services in 2015. He is currently serving as Senior Pilot – Fire Services, responsible for managing the A-shift pilot staff, new hire training and solo pilot operations of S-70A/i and Bell 412HP/EP aircraft for firefighting, search and rescue, and emergency medical services operations.