Colonel Jay Jackson is the Director of Staff, Air, Joint Force Headquarters Tennessee. Under his vision and direction, Colonel Jackson leads the Air Staff at Joint Force Headquarters Tennessee.

Colonel Jackson entered the Air Force in 1992 upon receiving his commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Alabama. He began his career as a Squadron Section Commander at Moody Air Force Base. After a tour at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea as a Command Post Emergency Action Controller, Wing Plans and Tactical Deception Officer, he served on the US Southern Command Staff as an Operations Planner in Quarry Heights, Panama. In 1996, Colonel Jackson attended Joint Undergraduate Navigator Training at Naval Air Station Pensacola and Randolph Air Force Base. He served C-130 flying assignments at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska and Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. In 2006, Colonel Jackson joined the Arkansas Air National Guard and in 2007, transferred to the 118th Airlift Wing of the Tennessee Air National Guard to help stand up a C-130 Formal Training Unit in Nashville. Here he served as the Navigator Course Manager, Chief of Current Operations and finally Director of Operations for the 105th Airlift Squadron. During this time he served combat tours in support of Operation Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. On 1 October 2012, Colonel Jackson took command of the 236th Intelligence Squadron in the newly formed 118th Intelligence Group. On 7 December 2013, he was promoted to Deputy Group Commander of the 118th Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group and served as interim Group Commander. In 2018 Colonel Jackson moved to Tennessee National Guard Joint Forces Headquarters as the Military Liaison to Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and the Tennessee Military Emergency Services Coordinator.

 

EDUCATION

1991   Bachelor of Arts, Criminal Justice, University of Alabama

1999   Squadron Officer School (Residence)

2002   Master’s Degree, Aeronautical Science, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University

2003   Air Command and Staff College (Correspondence)

2011   Air War College (Correspondence)

 

 

ASSIGNMENTS

1.November 1992 — June 1994, Squadron Section Commander, 68th Fighter Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, GA

2.June 1994 — June 1995, Emergency Actions Controller/Plans Officer/Tactical Deception Officer, 8thFighter Wing, Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea

3.June 1995 — September 1996, Current Operations Officer, USSOUTHCOM J3, Quarry Heights, Panama

4.September 1996 — September 1998, Navigator Student, Naval Air Station Pensacola, FL, Randolph Air Force Base, TX and Little Rock Air Force Base, AR

5.September 1998 — March 2001, Flight Examiner Navigator, 517th Airlift Squadron, Elmendorf Air Force Base, AK

6.March 2001— May 2004, Assistant Director of Operations, 62nd Airlift Squadron, Little Rock Air Force Base, AR

7.May 2004 — May 2006, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, 50th Airlift Squadron, Little Rock Air Force Base, AR

8.May 2006 — October 2007, Instructor Navigator, 154th Airlift Squadron, Arkansas Air National Guard, Little Rock AFB, AR

9.October 2007 — October 2012, Director of Operations, 105th Airlift Squadron, Tennessee Air National Guard, Nashville, TN

10.October 2012 — December 2013, Squadron Commander, 236th Intelligence Squadron, Tennessee Air National Guard, Nashville, TN

11.December 2013 — April 2018, Deputy Commander and Interim Group Commander, 118thIntelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance Group, Tennessee Air National Guard, Nashville, TN

April 2018-August 2021, Military Liaison Officer to Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, Nashville, TN

1 September 2021 to Present, Director of Staff, Tennessee Air National Guard, Nashville, TN

 

FLIGHT INFORMATION

Rating: Master Navigator

Flying Hours:

2,750 total hours (256 combat hours)

Aircraft flown: T-34C, T-43, C-130E, C-130H/H2/H3, WC-130H

 

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Meritorious Service Medal with 5 oak leaf clusters

Air Medal with 1 oak leaf cluster

Joint Service Commendation Medal with 1 oak leaf cluster

Air Force Commendation Medal with 4 oak leaf clusters

Army Commendation Medal with 1 oak leaf cluster

Joint Service Achievement Medal

Air Force Achievement Medal Combat Readiness Medal with 5 oak leaf clusters National Defense Service Medal

Armed Forces Expeditionary Service Medal

Southwest Asia Service Medal

Iraq Campaign Medal

Global War on Terror Service Medal

Korean Defense Service Medal

Armed Forces Service Medal

Humanitarian Service Medal

 

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION

Second Lieutenant  May 20, 1992

First Lieutenant        May 20, 1994

Captain                      May 20, 1996

Major                          Nov 1, 2002

Lieutenant Colonel  Nov 1, 2009

Colonel                      Sep 1, 2021

Current as of September 2021