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Journalist among Air Force's 12 Outstanding Airmen of Year

  • Published
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  A full-time reservist on the staff at Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command here is one of the Air Force's 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year.

Master Sgt. Shawn Jones was congratulated on his accomplishment July 22 by Lt. Gen. James F. Jackson, AFRC commander, during a staff meeting with senior leaders in the command.

At the time, Jones had been on the job one week as the public affairs craftsman for AFRC Recruiting Service.

Before accepting the full-time Active Guard and Reserve position in recruiting, Jones was a traditional reservist and full-time civilian employee in the 514th Air Mobility Wing's public affairs office at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.

He was selected the top NCO in the wing and the command while assigned to the 514th AMW.

His accomplishments at the joint base included winning numerous command, Air Force and Department of Defense print journalism awards. Jones was named DOD's print journalist of the year for 2011 and wrote the best sports article in the Air Force in 2012.

He represented the wing when distinguished visitors came to the area after Hurricane Sandy and was personally "coined" by Vice President Joe Biden. Jones wrote for Air Force Print News and was selected as the lead writer for the Air Force chief of staff transition. He devoted more than 40 hours per season as a youth soccer head coach and basketball assistant coach.

Jones entered the active-duty Air Force in July 2000 as an F-16 avionics specialist and was assigned to the aircraft maintenance squadrons at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, and Holloman AFB, N.M. He retrained into public affairs in April 2005 and served at Kirtland AFB, N.M., and Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.

He left active duty in October 2009 and joined the Air Force Reserve in the 514th AMW.