CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Senior Airman Jonathan Houghton is a member of the 437th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and has been stationed at Charleston AFB for about two years, minus three deployments.
He was recently deployed to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey where he was a member of the 728th Maintenance and Aircraft Maintenance Squadrons.
During his deployment, Airman Houghton was responsible for all communications, navigations and additional missions systems for the C-17's. He also assisted other maintenance career fields, including tire changes, electrical assistance, flight controls assistance and jet assistance.
While at Charleston AFB, Airman Houghton says "We're the computer geeks on the aircraft. We work on the radar and radio components of the aircraft."
Airman Houghton contributes to Team Charleston's mission by ensuring communication and navigational tools on the aircraft work properly to keep the mission in the air.
"Without communication or navigation, the pilots are left to travel by land markings; highly ineffective for today's Air Force," he said.
According to Airman Houghton, what he likes best about his job is the complications of the position.
"My job requires much thought and thorough understanding of all the system component [on the aircraft]," said Airman Houghton.
Airman Houghton's future goal is to complete his bachelor's degree in criminal justice and is working toward applying for Officer Training School. He would like to eventually become a Judge Advocate General officer or a member of the Office of Special Investigations.
This "warrior of the week" hails from Blanchard, Mich., and enlisted in the Air Force a little more than three years ago.
He joined the Air Force because as a child he enjoyed figuring out how things work.
"At age five I was out working with my father on his 1987 F-150 pickup truck and enjoyed the series of parts," he said.
He also attended air shows with his family while growing up.
"He is natural born leader, he leads from the front," said Staff Sgt. Marc Disbrow, Sergeant Houghton's supervisor. "His eagerness carries over into each of the aircraft maintenance career specialties. He has never encountered a job too involved, too intense or too dirty that he felt compelled to walk away from it. He has never been presented with a task that was 'not his job.' Through his work ethic, attention to detail and selfless acts, he completely embodies our core values of integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do."