Col Gary Jones Commander 147th Air Attack Wing
August 23, 2018
Whether it is protecting the shores of the United States from enemy attack, or carrying the Stars and Stripes into combat, Houston's famed 147th Attack Wing has consistently performed its duties in a typical outstanding manner. The officers and enlisted assigned to the unit are justifiably proud of their membership and point to a long and colorful history to back that claim.
Col Gary D. Jones is the Commander, 147th Attack Wing, Texas Air National Guard, Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base, Houston, Texas. He is responsible for organizing, training, equipping, and maintaining combat ready forces for rapid deployment and employment on wartime missions for 1,085 guardsmen in support of Joint Terminal Attack, MQ-1B Predator, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Expeditionary Combat Support missions.
Col Jones received his commission in the Air Force through Officer Training School after graduating from Louisiana Technical University in 1995. He completed Undergraduate Navigator Training and Electronic Warfare Officer Training at Pensacola Naval Air Station, Fla. in 1996, and was assigned to Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., as an RC-135V/W Rivot Joint EWO. In 2000, he was selected to join Detachment 2, 645th Material Squadron, as a Program Engineer in Greenville, Texas, where he directed depot-level maintenance, emergency aircraft repairs, and field modifications for the RC-135 fleet. He also completed a Master's Degree in Political Science from the University of Oklahoma while stationed in Greenville. In 2004, he served as a Reconnaissance Functional Manager at Headquarters, Air Combat Command (ACC) at Langley AFB, Va. While at ACC, he developed policies, plans, and doctrine to organize, train, and equip Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance airborne platforms. In 2006, he was assigned to the Pentagon as the Big Safari Program Element Monitor where he managed 28 Air Force programs and projects. Col Jones left active duty in 2007 and joined the Texas Air National Guard as a MQ-1 Predator pilot at the 147th Reconnaissance Wing. Since then, he has held various positions to include Chief of Training for the 111th Reconnaissance Squadron, Chief of Wing Plans, Assistant Director of Operations, Director of Operations, and Commander for the 147th Operations Support Squadron. In addition, Col Jones is a Master Navigator/EWO and has combat time in The Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Prior to his current position, Col Jones was the Vice Wing Commander, 147th Reconnaissance Wing, Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base, Houston, Texas.
Col Jones received his commission in the Air Force through Officer Training School after graduating from Louisiana Technical University in 1995. He completed Undergraduate Navigator Training and Electronic Warfare Officer Training at Pensacola Naval Air Station, Fla. in 1996, and was assigned to Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., as an RC-135V/W Rivot Joint EWO. In 2000, he was selected to join Detachment 2, 645th Material Squadron, as a Program Engineer in Greenville, Texas, where he directed depot-level maintenance, emergency aircraft repairs, and field modifications for the RC-135 fleet. He also completed a Master's Degree in Political Science from the University of Oklahoma while stationed in Greenville. In 2004, he served as a Reconnaissance Functional Manager at Headquarters, Air Combat Command (ACC) at Langley AFB, Va. While at ACC, he developed policies, plans, and doctrine to organize, train, and equip Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance airborne platforms. In 2006, he was assigned to the Pentagon as the Big Safari Program Element Monitor where he managed 28 Air Force programs and projects. Col Jones left active duty in 2007 and joined the Texas Air National Guard as a MQ-1 Predator pilot at the 147th Reconnaissance Wing. Since then, he has held various positions to include Chief of Training for the 111th Reconnaissance Squadron, Chief of Wing Plans, Assistant Director of Operations, Director of Operations, and Commander for the 147th Operations Support Squadron. In addition, Col Jones is a Master Navigator/EWO and has combat time in The Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Prior to his current position, Col Jones was the Vice Wing Commander, 147th Reconnaissance Wing, Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base, Houston, Texas.