726th ACS Airman lives up to Hardrock title: exemplifies excellence

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman JaNae Capuno
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  Every shop in the U.S. Air Force has that one stellar worker; the one who will take on volunteering after-hours, or getting the job done when no one else wants to.

The 726th Air Control Squadron has an Airman - one who seemingly overcomes any obstacle thrown at him with ease and who most would say puts “rocker” into the Hardrocker name.

His name is Senior Airman Jordan Jones.

Jones is a radio frequency (RF) transmission systems technician who maintains, troubleshoots and repairs deployable communication equipment. It’s his job to make sure communications are working for radio operators and combat communications Airmen.

Jones is one of the many extraordinary Airmen that contributes to the 726th ACS. From receiving Gunfighter of the Week, to making “Senior Airman Below the Zone,” he has dominated as an elite junior-enlisted Airman and proven to be the “go-to” guy.

His nomination as Gunfighter of the Week was due to his coordinating Airmen Against Drunk Driving weekend coverage, being awarded Inspector General Superior Performer and working with equipment specialists on trying to extend the life cycle of their current communication equipment.

His titles aren’t all bark without a bite- during the Hardrock 19-2 exercise, Jones worked countless hours with his team to set up small aperture antennas (SAAs), ground multi-band terminals (GMTs), radio units (RUs) and Tropo Satellite Support Radios (TSSRs) as efficiently as possible.

“Going to a bare site, we had to work with the other shops to ground and supply power,” Jones said. “The operators did a lot with unloading the five-ton trucks and setting up the tents. It allowed us to focus on the equipment side of things.”

Despite this being his second exercise in his Air Force career, Jones expressed his excitement when he discovered he would be a team lead for the week.

“What I looked forward to the most was seeing how well we would do as a team to complete the mission while overcoming the injects that took place,” Jones said. “I can say I’ve experienced a lot of obstacles that I wouldn’t have thought existed had I not been team lead.”

Senior Airman Paul Sexner, 726th ACS RF transmission systems technician, believes that Jones has done a remarkable job during the Mobile Operating Air Base (MOAB) exercise by leading from the front.

“He makes quick and accurate decisions,” Sexner said. “He's done very well at balancing the additional workload and pressure to both work and take care of the team.”

Finishing the exercise strong, Jones learned a valuable lesson that he will be able to carry with him throughout his career as a leader.

“Being put in a team lead position allows us to think for ourselves as younger Airmen,” Jones said. “When you get put in a position to lead, you develop a respect for the work that needs to be done.”