With the conclusion of American involvement in Vietnam, Wald returned to the U.S. He attended Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Ala., and, after graduation, he was promoted to captain. Wald was stationed at Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino, Calif., to serve as a project officer for the Operations Systems Engineering Branch.
In August 1978, Wald's next assignment was to be an F-15A aircraft instructor and flight commander for the 22nd Tactical Fighter Squadron at Bitburg Air Base in West Germany and, on Oct. 24, 1980, he was promoted to major. In 1981, he was inducted into the Bison Athletic Hall of Fame.