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Rock Solid Warrior: Capt. Jonathan Lipsey

  • Published
  • By Public Affairs
  • 386th Air Expeditionary Wing
This week's Rock Solid Warrior is Capt. Jonathan Lipsey, deputy chief of tactics with the 386th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron. The Lawrenceville, Georgia, native is deployed from the 94th Airlift Wing at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia.

Q: What is your family’s military heritage (anyone else in your family who was/is in the military?):
A:
Yes, my first cousin served on active duty in the Army and now serves in the Army National Guard.

Q: What is your mission here (in general terms)?
A:
As a tactics officer, my mission is to ensure aircrews are thoroughly briefed and prepared for their mission to execute tactical airlift. As a C-130 instructor combat systems officer, my mission includes operating the defensive and navigational systems, monitoring and communicating with C4 agencies, ensuring on-time delivery and accuracy of equipment and personnel during airdrop missions, and coordinating upload and download of cargo and personnel during air-land missions.

Q: What are some of the best parts of your mission?
A:
The best part is mission success. It’s a humbling experience when you receive appreciation for the hard work put into planning, briefing, and executing missions from tactical airlift to humanitarian aid relief.

Q: What are some of the challenges you face while conducting your mission, and how do you overcome them?
A:
The biggest challenges we face are short notice mission changes. I’m a firm believer the key to mission success is preparation and communication. We overcome challenges by being flexible and preparing in advance for contingencies. If you have ever heard the phrase, “Flexibility is the key to air power,” it epitomizes the nature of our mission.

Q: How does your job differ in a deployed environment vs. home base?
A:
The major difference is peacetime vs wartime. Compared to home base, the threat level and risk in a deployed environment increases exponentially. The mission is constantly evolving up to the time of execution and sometimes after. We execute combat missions regularly to austere locations in high risk threat environments with limited resources. At home base, we train for combat missions being executed in a deployed environment; however, the threat level and risk is substantially lower.

Q: How many times have you deployed?
A:
I’ve deployed to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility three times, and this is my fourth deployment to U.S. Central Command.

Q: What makes this deployment unique?
A:
This is my first deployment to the Rock. I’ve been with this unit for one year and eight months. I was fortunate to be selected to serve in a leadership position (chief of tactics) on short notice. It has been challenging and rewarding at the same time.

Q: Why did you join the Air Force?
A:
I joined the Air Force to fulfill my dream of flying, traveling the world, experiencing different cultures and serving in a diverse environment. Since enlisting in the Air National Guard in 1996 and after commissioning in the Air Force Reserves in 2007, I’ve been afforded the opportunity to visit 30 different countries and experience numerous cultures.