Excellence: electronic warfare student achieves ACE award

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jelani Gibson
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  South Dakota native and 365th Training Squadron student, Senior Airman Derek Jaeger, received the ACE award June 5, 2014.

The ACE award was earned through hard work and effort as he scored a 100 percent average throughout 10 blocks of testing.

As an avionics electronic warfare backshop student, Jaeger accomplished something no one else has done in his career field in more than seven years.

"He's always been real sharp in class," said Alan DeCelles, 365th TRS avionics electronic warfare backshop instructor.

Jaeger and DeCelles are in a career field that makes use of electronic attack countermeasure pods that are mounted to the planes they reside in.

Jaeger, who used to be a Navy weather observer, joined the Air National Guard because he wanted to continue his service in civilian life, while maintaining a sense of normalcy. The award itself came as a shock.

"I was surprised," he said. "I wasn't expecting anything like this, I just worked hard and good things happened."

The ACE award has helped Jaeger become a more effective leader as he prepares to use his newfound skills at the Air National Guard 114th Fighter Wing, Sioux Falls, S.D.

"It's helped me become more of leader for the future Airmen that are starting in their Air Force careers," he said.

The force multiplier effect of the career field gives Jaeger motivation.
 
"There's so much technology that goes into it that it's amazing what one pod like that can actually do to help and protect pilots," he said. "Being able to work on them in order to protect those pilots and bring them home to their families and loved ones is a good feeling."