NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. — Two U.S. Air Force Weapons School Airmen assigned to the 26th Weapons Squadron were recently named the Air Force Association Gen. John P. Jumper Award winners in the remotely piloted aircraft crew sensor operator and pilot categories.
Tech. Sgt. Tyler and Maj. Ryan of the 26th WPS were recognized with the awards for their outstanding performance and leadership.
Tyler had a hand in many of the squadron’s accomplishments; he helped create academics for the Sensor Operator Advanced Instructor Course and requirements for the syllabus, as well as coordinated with Air Combat Command on how the board/student selection process will be accomplished.
“This is pretty crazy, I have never won this level of an award before,” said Tyler, “It’s good because, I feel I give a lot to the Air Force, and it’s incredible to see that it’s come back two-fold. A lot of what I do is just my job honestly.
“We fought a lot of roadblocks along the way, there were people out there that said this course couldn’t be done. At the end of the day, its perseverance and hard work from those that actually believe in what we’re doing here and not maintaining the status quo.”
Along with Tyler, Ryan also made many accomplishments.
“I actually didn’t know that I was nominated,” said Ryan. “Tech. Sgt. Tyler and I won the award and it was a surprise (to win), it was great,” said Ryan. “Especially, since someone that I know and really respect had won (this) award a couple of years back.”
Ryan helps execute the USAFWS syllabus for the squadron, as well as is the expert on several different weapon systems, the Hellfire missile being the one he is most proud of.
“We took the handbook that we had, and we did a major rewrite,” said Ryan. “There had been a lot of evolution in the missile and some of the capabilities and the documentation in training hadn’t been kept up, and there were other deficiencies from testing as well as a bunch of other information that was spread out in hard to find or inaccessible places. So, a couple of classes ago we took three of our students and we reorganized and republished the hand book.”
The Air Force Association’s Gen. John P. Jumper Award for the sensor operator and pilot categories are annual awards recognizing the most outstanding remotely piloted aircraft crew in the United States Air Force.