Pease Airman graduates with top honors

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Curtis J. Lenz
  • 157th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
Staff Sgt. Matthew Jackson recently completed the United States Strategic Command's 12 day Joint Nuclear Command and Control course at Offutt, Air Force Base, Nebraska, where he graduated as a distinguished graduate.

To achieve the distinguished graduate award, Jackson, a 157th Air Refueling Wing Command Post console controller, was required to complete the course and show significant comprehension of the subject matter, Jackson said.

Additionally, he also needed to demonstrate a willingness to provide help to other students so they could achieve their academic goals in the course.

"I am very glad that I was able to represent the New Hampshire Air National Guard at STRATCOM," said Jackson. "I was eager to show the quality of the 157th Air Refueling Wing by keeping the integrity and honor of my unit in mind the entire time."

The purpose of the course is to effectively train personnel in the policies and procedures necessary to support USSTRATCOM's mission. 

The mission of USSTRATCOM is to conduct global operations in coordination with other combatant commands, services, and appropriate U.S. government agencies to deter and detect strategic attacks against the U.S., its allies, and partners and is prepared to defend the nation as directed.

Jackson reflected on his experience in the command post, "Our mission at Pease is vital to the safety and security of our nation."

Jackson believes that excellence starts with the members that work there.
"Our Command Post is top notch, from the leadership and trainers to the console controllers," he said. "There are decades of experience reaching back to the Strategic Air Command days."

Jackson added that his experiences at home station contributed to his success.

"I had an incredible amount of wisdom to pull from and take with me [to the course]," he said, who was recently promoted to staff sergeant and has been a member of the wing for five and half years.