Lieutenant General Noel T (Tom) “Honez” Jones (Ret) transitioned from the Air Force after more than 35 years of service, and is a Senior Consultant with Two Blue Aces. His military experience and unique leadership positions make him extraordinarily qualified to provide focused solutions to client needs.
Tom retired as the Vice Commander of US Air Forces in Europe/Air Forces Africa. In that capacity, he was second in command for the air component to U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command. He was responsible for providing full-spectrum warfighting capabilities throughout the entire area of responsibility, which encompassed 104 countries in Europe, Africa, the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. He executed the organization, training and equipping of over 35,000 members at seven operating bases in five European nations.
General Jones entered active duty in 1980 as a graduate of the US Air Force Academy. He commanded at the squadron, group and twice at the wing level…one in combat during IRAQI FREEDOM, one in peacetime as a Brigadier General. Tom had distinctly unique assignments as a General Officer. As the commander at Luke AFB, he led the Air Force’s largest Fighter Wing, overseeing F-16 training for the Air Force with over 200 aircraft and 20+ squadrons. He served for two years as the Deputy Director of the Central Security Service (military workforce for the National Security Agency (NSA)) where he marshaled the efforts of 16,000 military cryptologists and cyber professionals in support of national and service intelligence requirements and participated in the standup of US Cyber Command.
He also served one year with the US Forces-Iraq in Baghdad as the Director of Plans and Assessments (J-5). In this role he directed planning to execute the Presidential order to drawdown all US forces from Iraq by the end of 2011 and led the assessment of all operations, combat and non-combat, to determine effectiveness in achieving the commander’s stated objectives. This was the largest and most complex redeployment of US forces since WWII. He later served as the Director of Air Force Requirements at the Pentagon where he established policy for operational capabilities-based requirements and supported commands in developing and evaluating the requirements for modernization programs including fighters, bombers, mobility aircraft, space systems, command and control, munitions, and cyber requirements.
Tom finished his career as a command pilot with over 3,600 total flying hours in the T-37, T-38, T-33 and all blocks of the F-16A/B/C/D. He had combat sorties in Operations DESERT FOX, SOUTHERN WATCH, and IRAQI FREEDOM.
past work
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Director of Aviation, San Antonio International Airport (2016)
Education
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Leadership Decision Making Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. (2011)
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Fellow, Seminar XXI, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge (2008)
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Intelligence Community Senior Leadership Program, National Security Agency, Washington, D.C. (2008)
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Master's Degree, National Security and Strategic Studies, Naval War College (1999-00)
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Master's Degree, Aeronautical Science Technology, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (1987-88)
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Bachelor of Science, International Relations, U.S. Air Force Academy (1976-80)
usaf leadership
ASSIGNMENTS
Retired as a Lieutenant General (2015)
Other Leadership Roles:
Vice Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany; Director, Operational Capability Requirements, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.; Director, Strategic Plans and Assessment (J5), U.S. Forces-Iraq, U.S. Central Command, Baghdad, Iraq; Deputy Chief, Central Security Service, National Security Agency, Fort George G. Meade, Md.; Inspector General, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
18. June 2006 - July 2008, Commander, 56th Fighter Wing, Luke AFB, Ariz.; Commander, Squadron Officer College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.; Commander, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Southwest Asia; ; Commander, 20th Operations Group, Shaw AFB, S.C.; Deputy Commander, 20th Operations Group, Shaw AFB, S.C.; Commander, 522nd Fighter Squadron, Cannon AFB, N.M.; Operations Officer, 523rd Fighter Squadron, Cannon AFB, N.M.; Assistant Operations Officer, later, Operations Officer, 35th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea; Chief, War and Mobilization Branch; Executive Officer and Chief of Staff for the Director of Operations, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.; Etc.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 3,500
Aircraft flown: primarily T-33, T-37, T-38 and F-16
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Combat Readiness Medal with three oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korea Defense Service Medal