Commander Colonel Stan Jones Vice Commander Colonel Gary Jones Executive Officer Lt. Colonel Shaunte Cooper Public Affairs Officers Captain Fredy Reyes 1st Lieutenant Alicia Lacy Public Affairs Manager Master Sergeant Sean Cowher Journalists Technical Sergeant Shawn McCowan Senior Airman Chasity Lollis 03 100,000 Hours 04 Chief’s Corner THE TEXAN 147TH RECONNAISSANCE WING 147TH RECONNAISSANCE THE TEXAN is a funded Air Force publication that is produced for 04 JROTC Visits Ellington members of the 147th Reconnais- sance Wing at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base. Contents of The Texan are not necessarily the official views of the U.S. Government, the Depart- ment of Defense, the United States Air Force, the National Guard Bureau, or the Texas Air National Guard. The editorial content is edited, prepared and provided by the Public Affairs Office and members of the 147th Reconnaissance Wing. 14657 Sneider St. Visit the 147th Reconnaissance Wing social media sites to stay Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base current with what is happening at the Wing. Houston, TX 77034 Phone: 281-929-2662 The icons to the left are interactive and will take you directly to Email: the social media site of your choice. [email protected] www.147rw.ang.af.mil www.facebook.com/147RW 05 1st Sergeant’s Corner 06 Safety Shorts 06 Dining Facility Menu COVER: A 147th Reconnaissance Wing MQ-1B Predator on the ground in Latvia and photos of the men and women that worked hard to reach the 100,000 hour milestone. (Air National Guard graphic by Master Sgt. Sean Cowher/Released) www.147rw.ang.af.mil 147th Reconnaissance Wing reaches 100K flight hours on MQ-1 Story and photos by 1st Lt. Alicia Lacy 147th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs HOUSTON, Texas – Achieving sance Squadron 100,000 flying hours takes years to commander. “To realize. put 100,000 hours in But for the members of the 147th context, that amount Reconnaissance Wing, Texas Air of time is equivalent National Guard, conquering this to flying for 11.41 incredible feat is just a testament to years non-stop, and their hard work and dedication to the we did it in just mission. seven years.” The wing accomplished the mile- Due to the unique stone Oct. 8, 2015, just seven short structure of the years after receiving its new mission National Guard, to fly the MQ-1B Predator. pilots can fly in dif- “I’ve witnessed the constant hard ferent statuses from work and professionalism required by domestic Title 32 the 147th Reconnaissance Wing to ac- missions and fed- complish this achievement,” said Col. eral Title 10 hours to fight mentality, guard members accu- Gary Jones, vice wing commander . flight hours during training exercises; mulate years of experience, acquiring In 2005, the Department of Defense however, the 100,000- hour milestone the expertise to be proficient in their recommended retiring the then-147th was all done while on federal Title 10 jobs. Fighter Wing’s F-16 Fighting Falcons status. “What is not to be overlooked is the and replacing them with the recon- The accomplishment cannot only substantial amount of experience the naissance aircraft, with plans for the be attributed to the pilots who fly the Guard, and the 111th in particular, unit to be fully equipped and opera- mission, but to the entire wing, from brings to the MQ-1 community,” Peck tional by 2009. the member charged with writing said. “I first began to fly the Predator This change required airmen to ad- orders to the maintainers who keep in 2005. Over a decade later, I am still just and re-train on a new aircraft that the aircraft mission ready and the doing the same mission.” began its initial operational capability combatant commanders who use the “Many other members of the 111th in the U.S. Air Force only a few years aircraft in theater. have employed this asset for roughly before the wing took its first flight “We have had to forge and maintain the same amount of time,” he added. July 2008. working relationships with a host of “That is experience that active duty “There have been many milestones organizations over the years,” Peck simply cannot match, and the squad- along the way for the 111th (Recon- said. “Additionally, we count on sup- ron anticipated converting to the naissance Squadron) since Ellington port from our advocates at NGB to MQ-9 within the next 18-24 months, took on this mission, and there will give us the funding, manpower and and when that happens, I’m confident continue to be more, but this is a very voice we need to enable these mis- that our squadron will continue to be significant accomplishment,” said Lt. sions. an ‘Ace in the Hole’ for the combatant Col. David Peck, 111th Reconnais- In addition to the one team, one commanders.” Chief’s Corner GOING FORWARD BY CHIEF MASTER SGT. ROBERT HORTON Opportunities do not just present themselves and may not always be available. That being said, the ques- tion one needs to ask oneself is: What I am doing to make these opportunities work for me? How do I meet all requirements to succeed such as PME, CCAF, TIG, TIS, and if so, then how do I make myself better than the competition? Always be looking ahead and going forward. Seek out; find help from peers and leadership on self-improvement. During my Career I have removed rank, cross trained 3 times, and taken on additional du- ties, always seeking and looking for opportunities. Career paths may change; life in general can cause change, but always look forward. Be ready when the time comes; don’t miss out on a career opportunity of a lifetime because you were not prepared. Only 1% of the enlisted force makes it to the rank of Chief Master Sergeant, so get your CCAF accomplished. Seize opportunity, don’t wait for it, and do something for yourself. Along the way bring your airmen and others with you, always going forward. I have had a truly blessed career, and now being a new member of the 147th LRS, I realize that I am still going forward searching for the next opportunity. North Shore High School AF JROTC visits Ellington Field Story and Photos by Senior Airman Chasity Lollis 147th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs 11/8/2015 - November 7, 2015 -- some insight on his job.” trekked through a mock deploy- North Shore Senior High School The cadets looked through a pair ment zone. Air Force Junior Reserve Officer of night vision goggles, wore a hel- The last stop of the tour was at Training Corps cadets took a tour met and Kevlar vest and handled an the wing’s hangar to learn more of the 147th Reconnaissance Wing array of tactical equipment. about the MQ-1 Predator and how at Ellington Field Saturday, making They also got a behind the scenes it aids in the wartime mission. stops at the Air Support Operations look at the squadron’s newest addi- “It was a really fun, really excit- Squadron as well as the wing’s han- tion-their $2 million Air National ing trip,” said Rodriguez. “We got to gar to see the MQ-1 Predator. Guard Advanced Joint Terminal learn quite a bit, a lot of interesting “This is our first time doing this Attack Controller Training System. stuff.” trip,” said retired Master Sgt. David The Virtual Reality Scene Genera- “It was a success, a big success,” Clark, an AFJROTC instructor at tor was a big hit with the students, said Clark. “The kids loved it so the school. “The kids were very who flew a virtual airplane and we’ll definitely be back.” interested and very excited. In fact, we almost had to put a limit on how many we can bring just to make sure we could fit them all on the bu s .” The cadets’ first stop was at the ASOS to speak with Tactical Air Control Party members and Joint Terminal Attack Controllers about their job. “One of our instructors, Master Sergeant Clark, he worked as a TACP,” said AFJROTC cadet Col. Christopher Rodriguez. “So I got 4 The Texan 147th Reconnaissance Wing 1st. Sergeant’s Comments Professional Development By Master Sgt. Jason Knotowitz 147th Mission Support Group First Sergeant As an airman in today’s Air Force, Force civilians in all career fields and ence through your everyday interac- you hear phrases like “career develop- specialties via the Wingman program” tions, you are not only investing in ment” or “professional development” (www.wpafb.af.mil). the professional development of those at nearly every commander’s call, but Whether enlisted or officer, we are around you, but you are also develop- very rarely do you hear these phrases all airmen, and all in a position of in- ing your own leadership style. coupled when we hear our leaders fluence. There will always be someone Think about the word “leadership”. talking about the Wingman Concept. looking up to you simply because you There are many ways to define this From day one in basic training, you are wearing the uniform. Now, you word, and it is often considered to be adopted the Air Force Core Values: can look at this like this is a burden synonymous with the word manage- Integrity First, Service Before Self, and that you have to carry until your date ment. It is important to realize that Excellence in all that we do. Naturally, of separation, or you can view this as there is a distinct difference; people it is in our best interest to apply these an opportunity to shape the careers of aren’t driven by being management, values as it relates to our own profes- those around you.