Darlson named 'Instructor of the Week'

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SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Capt. James Darlson, 88th Flying Training Squadron instructor pilot and native of Palm City, Fla., has been in the Air Force for nine years and is the Instructor of the Week at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, for the week of Oct. 20-26, 2015. Darlson is responsible for teaching Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals which gives new pilots the knowledge needed to be able to provide decisive combat power.

How he impacts the training mission:
Darlson is an 88th FTS instructor pilot for Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals, and serves in an attached capacity as the chief of IFF training. As an IFF instructor, Darlson teaches students on a daily basis the fundamentals of basic fighter maneuvers and air-to-ground surface attacks.

He provides feedback to the students based on their flying performance, work ethic, and attitude to ensure they are primed for success when proceeding to their follow-on fighter aircraft's formal training units.

As the chief of IFF training, Darlson is the subject matter expert for the student and Upgrade Instructor Pilot syllabi. In this capacity, he conducts quality reviews and runs the yearly revision process in coordination with all applicable Euro NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training partner nations.

Most significant accomplishments:
· Highlighted issues with the current student and Upgrade Instructor Pilot syllabi and corrected the discrepancies in the next published versions. He was also in-charge of leading several large-scale changes to the syllabi which enabled more efficient and effective training for the students and instructors in course.
· Coordinated an out-and-back trip for eight 88th Flying Training Squadron instructor pilots to Naval Air Station Ft. Worth in order to tour the Lockheed Martin F-35 production facility. In addition to accomplishing flight training during the flights to and from Ft. Worth, the tour fostered professional development by enabling a better understanding of aircraft production and procurement processes and the relationship between the Air Force and one of the world's largest military contractors.

"Captain Darlson commissioned through the ROTC program at the University of Florida in 2006," said Capt. Adam Thompson. "After pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss., Captain Darlson completed A-10 Warthog training at Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., then flew the A-10 at Osan Air Base, Korea, and Moody Air Force Base, Ga. While at Moody with the 74th Fighter Squadron, Captain Darlson deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.  He has been station at Sheppard Air Force Base since May 2013 and recently returned from a deployment to Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, as the director of the Rescue Operations Center. He and his wife, Meghan, have two children, ages seven and four."