122nd Fighter Wing pilot flies last military flight

Photo By Staff Sgt. Rita Jimenez | U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jesse S. Jahn, A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft pilot assigned to the 163rd Fighter Squadron, descends down a crew ladder after landing at the Fort Wayne Air National Guard base in Fort Wayne, Indiana June 5, 2022. Jahn celebrated his final military flight amongst family and friends during the 2022 Fort Wayne Air Show. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Rita Jimenez)  

FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, UNITED STATES

07.09.2022

Story by Staff Sgt. Rita Jimenez 

122nd Fighter Wing

FORT WAYNE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ind. – Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jesse “Porta” Jahn, an A-10C Thunderbolt II pilot, formerly assigned to the 163rd Fighter Squadron, celebrated his final military flight amongst family and friends during the Fort Wayne Air Show on June 5, 2022.

“Normally we get the privilege of flying our last flight with a few bros and then our families just get to watch the landing,” said Jahn. “All of my family and friends got to see the whole thing. The Blacksnakes really took care of them all and made them feel special.”

Blacksnake culture has made serving with the 122nd Fighter Wing a good experience for Jahn. This culture of care helped him pursue a life outside of the military, while still serving his country.

“It’s kind of a military leadership cliché to say that if you take care of your people, the mission will take care of itself, said Jahn. “That may not be true to the extreme, but the Indiana Air National Guard leadership, the 122nd leaders and the Blacksnake team have made it a real pleasure for me to serve during a decade that I had the opportunity to do other things.”

Jahn served as a pilot his entire military career. Upon graduating from the Air Force Academy in 1998, he completed a Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training Program at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma in 2000. Between 2000 and 2003, Jahn serve on active duty at Vance AFB as a T-37 Tweet aircraft First Assignment Instructor Pilot.

Jahn went on to complete A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft Initial Qualification Training at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona in 2004. He was then assigned to the 75th Fighter Squadron, Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina from 2004 to 2006. There he flew A-10A aircraft. While serving with the 75th FS, Jahn deployed to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan in 2005 and 2006.

Jahn's next assignment was with the 25th Fighter Squadron, Osan Air Base, South Korea from 2007 to 2008. After serving at Osan AB, he was assigned to the 358th Fighter Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB from 2009 to 2013. During the first half of 2012, he received orders to join the 361st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan. There, Jahn flew the MC-12W Liberty aircraft, a highly modified Beechcraft 350 aircraft used to provide real-time tactical intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance over the skies of Afghanistan. He then returned to serve with the 358th FS until April 2013.

Jahn left active duty service honorably to continue his graduate education in theology and Christian ministry. He has obtained a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry degree in 2009, a Master of Divinity degree in 2014 and a Master of Theology degree in 2018.

Jahn continued his military service by serving as a drill status guardsman with the 163rd Fighter Squadron, Indiana Air National Guard Fort Wayne between 2013 and 2016. While attached to the 163rd FS, Jahn served on a Statutory Tour at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. There he served as the Air Combat Command Fighter Standardization/Evaluation Chief from 2016 to 2020. Jahn also deployed with the 163rd FS to Kandahar AB, Afghanistan in 2018.

After completing his final assignment as the Air National Guard Training Branch Chief at Langley AFB from 2020 to 2022, Jahn flew his last military flight. Jahn is currently on terminal leave and will officially retire on August 1, 2022, after 23 years of service.

• Date Taken: 07.09.2022
• Date Posted: 07.09.2022 10:45
• Story ID: 424672
• Location: FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, US