US Air Force Military Training - Yearbook (Lackland, TX)

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Chief Master Sergeant J. R. Williams 737th Training Group Superintendent Chief Master Sergeant James R. CJ. RJ Williams is the Superintendent of the Air Force Basic Military Training, 737th Training Group, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. He manages and directs the training of more than 35,000 enlisted recruits annually. He is responsible for the proficiency and utilization of over 300 mili- tary training instructors in six operational training squadrons, one processing squadron, and one training support squadron, at the Air Force's only basic military training facility. Chief Williams was born in Valdosta, Georgia on September 25 1951, and graduated from South San Antonio High School, San Antonio, Texas in 1969. He entered the Air Force in January 1971, and completed basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Prior to his current position, he has served as a ground radio communications equipment repairman, basic military training instructor, technical training instructor, and training manager. His career highlights include selection as 437th Military Airlift Wing and Base Noncommissioned Officer of the Year for 1977 at Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina, 3743rd Basic Military Training Squadron Instructor of the Year and Basic Military Training School Noncommissioned Officer of the Year for 1979 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, 7276th Air Base Group and Base Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year for 1991 at Iraklion Air Station, Crete, Greece. He was also United States Forces in Europe's selection for the Lieutenant General Leo Marquez Award as the Outstanding Command, Control, Communications, and Computer 8 Systems Supervisor-Manager of the Year for 1994. He is a distin- guished graduate of the Tactical Air Command Noncommissioned Officer Leadership School at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, and the Tactical Air Command N oncommissioned Officer Academy at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, where he also received the Commandantis Award and Drillmaster Award. He holds the Master Communications - Electronics Badge, the Air Education and Training Command Master Instructor Badge, the Master Military Training Instructor Blue Rope, and the Basic Missileman Badge. His education includes completion of the Tactical Air Command Noncommissioned Officer Leadership School in 1974, the Tactical Air Command Noncommissioned Officer Academy in 1984, the CCAF Associate's Degree in Radio Communications Technology in 1986, the USAF Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy in 1993, and the CCAF Associate's Degree in Instructor of Technology and Military Science in 1995. His decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Achievement Medal, the Air Force Good Conduct Medal with eight oak leaf clusters, the National Defense Service Medal with one bronze star, the Armed Forces Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Medal. Chief Williams is married to the former Pauline Meyers of San Antonio, Texas. They have three sons, Ronnie, Eloy, and Mark, and four daughters, Ulrike, Tanya, Desiree, and Ashley.

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4 Q V Z 4 0 X5 Lieutenant Colonel Mark W. 'fBuck Jones 'Z Z we We ' M um m X Deputy Commander, 737th Training Group WM Lackland Air Force Base, Texas Lt Col Jones was bom in Philpot, Kentucky. He attended the University of Kentucky on a 4-year AFROTC scholarship and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1979. He holds a Master of Aeronautical Science degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and is a distinguished graduate of Squadron Officer School, a graduate of Air Command and Staff College correspon- dence program and a resident graduate of the Air War College Class of 1998. Lt Col Jones was commissioned in August 1979 and entered active duty in December 1979. His first assignment was Undergraduate Pilot Training-Helicopter at Fort Rucker, AL followed by duty with 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, Detatchment 2, at Ellsworth AFB SD flying missile site support. His next assignment was with the 375th Aeromedical Airlift Wing, Scott AFB IL as Chief, Resource Plans Division from 1982-1984. From 1984-1986, he was assigned to Lowry AFB CO in Reserve status. Lt Col Jones was assigned to the 56th Tactical Training Wing, MacDill AFB FL in Jan 1986. While there, his division won the 9th AF Logistics Plans and Programs Effectiveness Award for 1987 and Best Resource Plans Division in Tactical Air Command. In August 1988, he was reassigned to HQ USAFE, Ramstein AB Germany, as Chief, War Reserve Materiel Budget and Facilities Section. He managed the construction of 11 WRM storage facilities and the two best ever USAFE WRM budget execution years. Additionally, Lt Col Jones worked the deployment of the USAFE Fighter Wing forces to Operation Desert Shield!Storm. Lt Col Jones transferred to the Pentagon in Feb 1991 as Chief, Mobility and Base Support Planning Policy in the Directorate of Plans and Integration CAFXLGXJ. He was selected as Commander, 49th Bare Base Support Squadron, Holloman AFB, NM and assumed command in July 1993. As Commander, he was responsible for over S100 million of Harvest Eagle and Harvest Falcon Bare Base Equipment. He was selected as the Air Combat Command Logistics Plans and Programs Senior Manager of the Year for 1993. Lt Col Jones personally led Bare Base deployment teams to Saudi Arabia and Republic of Korea and in 1995 alone oversaw 262 personnel deployed to 15 countries. In June 1996, he was reassigned to the Air War College as Director, National Security Forum Guest Activities. The NSF is a Secretary of the Air Force program that culminates the AWC academic year. Lt Col Jones attended the AWC as a member of the Class of 1998 and remained as Chief of Student Affairs. He was reassigned as Deputy Commander, 737th Training Group in J an 1999. His military awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Air Force Achievement Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. Lt Col Jones and his wife, Sharon, of Albany, Kentucky, have two daughters, Leigh and Emma.

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HISTORY OF LACKLAND The land that eventually became Lackland Air Force Base used to be part of Kelly Field. The pilots at Kelly used the area as a bombing range and called it 'the hill' because that flat escarpment rose steeply above their airfield. Brigadier General Frank D. Lackland became commander of the Air Corps Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field. He began his military career in 1911 as an infantry Lieutenant and served with George C. Marshall Cthen also a lieutenantj in the Philippines before World War 1. He received his wings in 1917. This made Lackland one of the Army's early band of pilots. As a colonel, he became commander of Brooks Field in 1934 before taking command at Kelly in March 1938. While at Kelly, he conceived the idea of a major training facility on the hill overlooking the field. General Lackland died on 27 April 1943 and is buried in the Arlington National Cemetery. The growth of Kelly's hill to the nation's largest military center resulted from the foresight of General Lackland. On 10 October 1940, three officers were appointed to determine the requirements for establishing an aviation cadet reception center for the Gulf Coast area. The War Department approved a facility for 1,300 cadets. A letter from the Adjutant General dated 21 February 1941 authorized 62 buildings, including 42 barracks capable of housing 31 men each, five mess halls, five administra- tion buildings, a fire station, an infirmary, a post exchange, a recreation building, warehouse, and five school buildings. In May 1941 the planned training capacity was increased to 2,088 cadets. On 30 September 1941, the new development on the hill was designated Air Corps Replacement Training Center CAir Crewj, Kelly Field, Texas. The first class of cadets reported for training at San Antonio on 12 November 1941, less than a month before Pearl Harbor. On 1 February 1946, the post was transferred to AAF Technical Training Command and redesignated the AAF Military Training Center. It absorbed the Basic Training School from Harlingen Field, Texas and began basic training for enlisted person- nel on 4 February. The training course was six weeks in length C30 training daysj. On 18 September 1947, the United States Air Force CUSAFJ was born as a separate service. The Indoctrination Training Center CIDTRCJ finally received a formal name when it became Lackland Air Force Base CAFCJ on 1 July 1947. Ceremonies that marked the naming of the base was held on 12 July. Lackland AFB grew slowly during the next few years, but saw some important changes. In October 1948, it began basic training for the newly authorized Women in the Air Force CWAFJ. In June 1949, Lackland began the integration of black airmen into regular units with whites. On 29 July 1950, the base population had grown to 28,803, with 3,500 male trainees already liv- ing in tents. Lackland began taking on a 'new look' during 1962. In November the first of what was to become many new self contained dormitories for basic training were completed. Each of these three large buildings provided air conditioned living quarters, class- rooms, and covered drill areas for 200 trainees. The distinctive 'Smokey Bear' hat became part of the Military Training 1nstructor's uniform, on 31 August 1967, making them look about two feet taller to many newly arrived trainees. The Lackland Military Training Center was renamed the Air Force Military Training Center on 1 January 1973, in recogni- tion of the fact that it is the Air Force's only basic training center. It is also referred to as 'The Gateway To The Air Force', and is the place where thousands of dedicated young men and women make the transition from civilian life to the United States Air Force. Lackland Air Force Base is a busy community spread over almost 7,000 acres in the southwest part of San Antonio, Texas. With more than 1000 buildings, the base resembles a small city. It has a great medical center, a modern shopping complex, the- aters, restaurants, bowling alleys, swimming pools, gas stations, and shady residential areas. The main purpose of Lackland, however, is training. Dormitories, classrooms, and athletic fields cover much of the base. At one time, the daily population of Lackland now averaged over 33,000 people, both military and civilian. This made Lackland the 31st largest city in Texas. About half of this population is going to school. The great majority of students are at the Air Force Military Training Center for basic military training. This demanding six-week course ensures the men and women who enlist in the Air Force are motivated and capable of joining the aerospace team. Other students at Lackland are taking more advanced technical Training in subjects ranging from law enforcement to elec- tronics. Some of these students represent the Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, and various civilian government agencies. Lackland has also become an intemational educational community. Military personnel from over 30 nations come to learn English at the Defense Language Ir stitute before going to study a wide variety of military skills. On 2 July, 1993, Lackland Training Center became the 37th Training Wing. Lackland also acquired the Inter-American Air Forces Academy in 1993. The Academy conducts Spanish-language technical training in aviation and occupational specialities for officer and enlisted personnel from Latin American countries.