LIEUTENANT COLONEL WILLIAM R. JONES

10/23/2010

Lt. Col. William R. Jones is Commander, 56th Operations Support Squadron, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. The squadron's mission is to deliver outstanding operational support to Luke AFB and the local community while developing and deploying combat-ready Airmen. An integral part of the 56th Fighter Wing, the 56th OSS provides direct support required by the wing's fighter squadrons for sortie generation. This includes weapons and tactics; aircrew training management; intelligence; air traffic control; airfield operations; weather; flight records; operations scheduling; aircrew flight equipment training; and operations plans. Squadron personnel work in six geographically separated locations around Luke AFB, helping the wing to graduate more than 400 F-16 pilots and 300 crew chiefs annually.

Colonel Jones started his military career at the age of 17 when he joined the Army Reserve and served as a flight operations specialist. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from the University of Southwestern Louisiana in 1992. After receiving his commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps, he entered active duty in January 1993 as a computer programmer at Tyndall AFB, Fla. Later, he attended pilot training and graduated in September 1995. Colonel Jones has served as weapons planning officer, life support officer, flight examiner and flight commander. He has also served as squadron chief of safety, training, scheduling, and standardization and evaluation, as well as wing inspections. Prior to his assignment to Luke AFB, he was Director of Operations, 31st Operations Support Squadron, Aviano Air Base, Italy. He is a senior pilot and instructor with more than 1,500 hours, having flown in both the European and the Pacific theatres.

EDUCATION

1992 Bachelor of Science degree in computer science, University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette

1999 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

2005 Master of Military Operational Art and Science degree, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

ASSIGNMENTS

1. March 1984 - December 1989, flight operations specialist, U.S. Army Reserve, New Iberia, La.

2. January 1993 - August 1994, computer programmer, 702nd Computer Services Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla.

3. September 1994 - September 1995, student, undergraduate pilot training, Laughlin AFB, Texas

4. January 1996 - February 1996, student pilot, Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals, Columbus AFB, MS

5. March 1996 - October 1996, student pilot, F-16 Replacement Training Unit, 62nd Fighter Squadron, Luke AFB, Ariz.

6. November 1996 - July 1999, F-16 pilot; weapons planning officer; life support officer; and flight safety officer, 522nd Fighter Squadron, Cannon AFB, N.M.

7. August 1999 - August 2000, F-16 pilot and Chief of Scheduling, 80th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea

8. September 2000 - February 2002, AT-38B instructor pilot; assistant Chief of Training; Chief of Standardization and Evaluation; flight commander; and operations group flight examiner, Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals, 435th Fighter Training Squadron, Randolph AFB, Texas

9. March 2002 - July 2004, AT-38B/C instructor pilot; Chief of Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals Training; and NAF flight examiner, Headquarters 19th Air Force, Randolph AFB, Texas

10. August 2004 - July 2005, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

11. August 2005 - September 2005, student, F-16 transition course, Luke AFB, AZ

12. October 2005 - May 2006, F-16 instructor pilot and assistant Director of Operations, 510th Fighter Squadron, Aviano AB, Italy

13. June 2006 - April 2007, F-16 instructor pilot; flight examiner; and Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, 31st Operations Group, Aviano AB, Italy

14. May 2007 - April 2008, F-16 instructor pilot and Chief of Inspections, 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano AB, Italy

15. May 2008 - September 2008, F-16 instructor pilot and Director of Operations, 31st Operations Support Squadron, Aviano AB, Italy

16. October 2008 - January 2009, student, F-16 RTU instructor pilot course, Luke AFB, Ariz.

17. March 2009 - present, Commander, 56th Operations Support Squadron, Luke AFB, Ariz.

FLIGHT INFORMATION

Rating: Senior pilot

Flight hours: More than 1,500

Aircraft flown: Primarily AT-38 and F-16

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster

Aerial Achievement Medal

Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster

Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster

Army Achievement Medal

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

Distinguished graduate, undergraduate pilot training/AETC Commander's Trophy

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION

Second Lieutenant Oct. 25, 1992

First Lieutenant Oct. 25, 1994

Captain Oct. 25, 1996

Major April 1, 2003

Lieutenant Colonel April 1, 2008