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Rock Solid Warrior: Senior Airman Ayana Jones

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Louis Vega Jr.
  • 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  This week’s Rock Solid Warrior is Senior Airman Ayana Jones, unit mail clerk and travel representative with the 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Group, deployed from the 31st Security Forces Squadron, Aviano Air Base, Italy.

The Rock Solid Warrior program is a way to recognize and spotlight the Airmen of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing for their positive impact and commitment to the mission.

What is your current job title and unit?

My current job title is unit mail clerk and unit travel representative with the 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Group.

Which squadron and base are you deployed from?

I am deployed from the 31st Security Forces Squadron, Aviano Air Base, Italy.

Why did you join the Air Force?

I joined because I needed a stable career with some guided direction to help kick start me on becoming a productive member of society.

How is your deployed unit/job different from your home unit/job?

I sit in a Tech. Sgt. position and deal with a lot of logistic readiness squadron work, terms, and lingo. It’s a lot more responsibility and information than I am used to dealing with. At my home station, I am strictly command support staff, I work on enlisted performance reports, decorations, memorandums, all commander’s programs and additional duties.

What are some of your professional and personal goals?

I would like to palace chase into the Air National Guard and retrain into the dental field. I would like to go to school to become a dental hygienist and work for a dentist office on the civilian side.

What is your favorite part of your mission here?

My favorite part of the mission is getting the mail downrange by loading either the C-17 or C-130. I know if I were in those living conditions I would love getting mail from home and care packages with much needed items. I also enjoy being the main POC to coordinate with logistic plans, personnel support for contingency operations, and the transportation management office to get all our members redeployed and home in a timely manner.
What are some of your hobbies?

I like to travel as much as I can with my son so we can have those experiences and stories to look back on. Since I don’t have my son here, I have found this to be a really great opportunity to focus on myself. I have been working out longer and harder. I also read self-help books and I am taking time to refine the way I want my career to go, by developing building a plan.

What are some of the challenges you face here? How do you overcome them?

The biggest challenge was understanding how to competently execute the travel representative portion of my job. I was able to do this by the patience and dedication of the team here. I also miss my son a lot. We try to FaceTime three times a week and I read a book to him. We each have a couple copies of the same book, so I let him pick a book and I read to him while he follows along and looks at the pictures.