Photo By Senior Airman Hanah Abercrombie | Chief Master Sgt. Jason Delucy, 30th Space Wing command chief, speaks during a...... read more read more
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One’s legacy is not defined by someone’s future actions, or even the present. It is created by the lasting impact left on a person’s mind and heart. In 1996, 16 year-old Jason DeLucy wouldn’t have had the slightest idea about the impact he’d leave on the United States Air Force after 26 years of service.
“I went to MEPS when I was 16, and the following day was my birthday,” said DeLucy. “I’ve literally been in the military since my first day of being 17.”
Shortly following his high school graduation in the early summer of 1996, he shipped out to basic training with an open-mechanical contract. Though he ended up being a career Airman in vehicle management, among other command positions, he didn’t always plan on staying in.
“I did a good job and I was a good Airman,” said DeLucy. “But I still had my dreams of getting out in four years and becoming a Pennsylvania State Trooper.”
Following a deployment to Germany in early 1999, and then a few months later, another to Saudi Arabia, DeLucy was sat down by a couple of mentors who laid out the potential that he had as a career Airman, and encouraged him to re-enlist. He then received orders to Aviano Air Base in Italy.
During a deployment in 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, he realized that he belonged in the Air Force.
“That deployment really re-validated that I’m doing the right thing. ‘This is why I’m here. This is what I do’,” said DeLucy.
After his time in Italy, he applied and was accepted to be a military
training instructor, or MTI, where he was assigned to the 320th Training Squadron. He pushed around 20 flights of incoming Airmen, was promoted to Master Sgt., then moved to the 319th TRS where he supervised the med hold flight.
“I got to see trainees on another level,” said DeLucy. “It’s not just trainees getting pushed through basic training, now it’s trainees in rehabilitation, wanting to get put back into training to finish what they started.”
DeLucy thrived off of impacting careers and assist in building today’s Air Force.
DeLucy also met his wife, SMSgt. Itxel DeLucy, during his time at Lackland Air Force Base where she was also serving as an MTI. However, they would have to wait on the honeymoon.
“Five days after we got married I went to Korea,” said DeLucy. “My wife stayed at Lackland for another year, while I became the vehicle management superintendent for the 8th Logistics Readiness Squadron at Kunsan Air Base.”
This job set the standard for the positions he would hold for the rest of his 26 year career.
The couple united again in 2010, as both served in positions at Ramstein AB.
After a stint as the Air Combat Command major command functional manager for vehicle management, he was assigned to the Vehicle Equipment Management Support Office. He became responsible for analysis and compliance of all vehicle management for the Air Force, supporting 6,000 personnel across 78 bases.
“I was also responsible for a fleet of 92,000 vehicles,” said DeLucy. “It was really an awesome job where we got to create technical programs for the career field through analytics and data.”
After serving as the Red Horse Superintendent in Guam, and another tour in Korea, he landed on what would be his final duty station, Vandenberg Air Force Base.
Here at Vandenberg, then the 30th Space Wing, he was picked up to be the Mission Support Group superintendent. However, that would soon change.
The Chief then had to go in front of a board that contained three Major Command Command Chiefs, three officers and the Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force, where they go through his records to see if he meets the criteria to be a command chief. Out of 400 eligible Chiefs, 100 were chosen to be command chief candidates. Of those 100 candidates, 28 were selected for positions.
After DeLucy was selected, he realized he was in unfamiliar territory with a steep learning curve, but he never shied away from a challenge.
“When you get to a new place, or hold a new title, you’ll always be receiving information through a firehose,” said DeLucy. “But as I get things thrown at me, I pick up the important nuggets that help me adapt and learn quicker.”
A few months into his term as command chief, DeLucy was asked about what legacy he wants to leave behind.
“When Public Affairs asked about what legacy I want to leave, I simply said that I wanted to leave a legacy of customer service,” said DeLucy. “A customer service approach to leadership, if you will.”
DeLucy always wanted to know how one can help their wingman.
“People should always be thinking about what characteristics they have to be their very best,” he said. “I always want to leave an impact on the people I interact with that’s significant enough to make them want to come back to me.”
So just like any business, DeLucy always strived to be the approachable employee during his time as the command chief. He built relationships with the installation’s people.
During his time in the Air Force, he learned that there is no mountain too steep to summit.
“There’s always going to be room to grow. You’re never going to be at a point where you know everything,” said DeLucy. “There’s never a point where you can’t better yourself, or that you can’t do something bigger.”
As Chief Jason DeLucy leaves Vandenberg and his Air Force behind, he will always be thankful for the memories, the opportunities, and the people.
“Coming to Vandenberg felt new, and different,” said DeLucy. “But it’s really grown on me and my family. However, it’s the 10,000 people here on a daily basis that have made this one of the best assignments in my 26 years in the Air Force. It may be different, but it’s home.”
| Date Taken: | 06.23.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 06.23.2022 18:26 |
| Story ID: | 423633 |
| Location: | VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 694 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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