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380AEW Article

Deployed officer sets all-time record for flying hours in E-3 Sentry

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Chance Babin
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  As the nation honored its workforce this Labor Day, an Airman deployed to Southwest Asia celebrated his own milestone achievement by setting an all-time flying record in the E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System.

Maj. Jon Williams, a mission crew commander for the 963rd Expeditionary Airborne Air Control Squadron, reached 10,195 flying hours on the AWACS Sept. 5, setting the all-time record for hours flown since the aircraft became operational in the Air Force in 1977.

"It feels very good to meet a goal I've actually worked on for a very long time," Williams said. "It's a feeling of relief because when you are in the flying business as a whole there is an endless list of things that can throw you off and keep you from reaching a goal. I've been able to stay healthy and do all the right things to keep me in the game."

Williams broke retired Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Terrell's 2006 record of 10,193 hours.

"I can think of no one more worthy to break my 10,193 AWACS flying-hour record than Maj. Jonathan M. Williams," Terrell said. "I'll be honored to personally render him a salute and a handshake when he steps foot back on Tinker Air Force Base (Okla.) soil."

Williams and Terrell have been staying in contact about his chase for the record via email, Williams said.

"No one ever thought that [record] would be beat because people were retiring and getting out and cutting back on hours," said Williams, who hails from Colorado but now calls Edmond, Okla., his home. "He (Terrell) said some very nice things and I look forward to seeing him when I get back to Oklahoma."

One advantage Williams had in gaining the huge chunk of hours is the fact that he has been on extended active-duty orders through participation in the Retired Aviator Recall Program.

"I hit high-year tenure so I officially retired eight years ago. But, without any break in service, I stayed on active duty using the retired recall program," Williams said. "I've done that for eight years and I have another year to go."

This is not the only milestone Williams has achieved during his deployment here. Adding meaning to another patriotic holiday Williams set the all-time record for hours flown in the E-3 by an officer on the Fourth of July. Later that month he celebrated the 30th anniversary of his first flight.

Williams has set other records in his career also.

He passed the "year in the air" milestone (completion of 8,760 flying hours) Jan. 15, 2009. He also holds the U.S. Air Force records for total aviation service time, total sorties, combat sorties, flight hours and combat hours in the E-3.

"I wanted to do this in a combat zone on a combat mission out of my favorite undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, and here I am," Williams said.

He now has more than 2,500 combat hours, including his record-setting flight.

"Jon wouldn't have wanted to break this record anywhere else in the world," said Lt. Col. George Wilson, the 963rd EAACS commander. "Jon's sole purpose for his continued service is flying combat missions. So, yes, [it was] very special for it to happen in theater. He has lots of support from other crew members because they know what a milestone he has accomplished."

Although Williams' record-setting flight landed just after midnight, the wing commander, the vice commander and his squadron commander and director of operations greeted him when he landed.

"The 10,000-hour mark is a huge milestone that very few Air Force aviators ever reach," said Col. Joel Jackson, the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing vice commander. "Officers don't just fly; they do staff jobs and other leadership jobs that take them out of the office. So, simply getting to 10,000 hours is an amazing feat. The second aspect of this is his attaining the highest ever AWACS time. This plane has been around a long time, so to hold that distinction is truly history in the making. It's only fitting he surpassed the mark here in combat."

In fact, the AWACS became operational in the Air Force just two years before Williams joined the Air Force.

He said he was touched that wing leadership came out to meet him after such a late flight.

"I felt quite honored to have the general and vice commander come out for this tonight," Williams said. "It [was] quite literally the middle of the night--that was very nice of them."

While Williams has been at it for a long time, his commander said his love for the job has not diminished.

"Maj Williams is 'old school' (not just because of his age) and approaches every combat mission with the intent of assisting our pilots, Soldiers, Marines and Airmen to inflict 'excruciating pain' (an exact quote by Maj. Williams) onto our enemies," Wilson said. "Jon is a warrior; there are few like him, and he has my utmost respect as an E-3 mission crew commander. I am proud to say I commanded him in combat."