[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 183 (Thursday, December 1, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2155-E2156]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING JOHNNY CHANDLER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF DENHAM

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 1, 2011

  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Veterans of Foreign 
Wars Chowchilla Post 9896 Life Member Johnny Chandler who served his 
country honorably in the United States Air Force.
  After graduating from Chowchilla High School in 1998, Johnny Chandler 
enlisted in the United States Air Force. He completed his basic 
training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, and later completed 
Enlisted Aircrew Training at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas. After 
completing technical surveillance specialty training in Mississippi, 
Washington, and Oklahoma, he was assigned to the Airborne Air Control 
Squadron, one of the three operational E-3 Sentry (AWACS) squadrons in 
the continental United States. The primary mission of the 965th was 
Operation Southern Watch in the skies over Southern Iraq. The mission's 
objectives were to search for, track, and report enemy aircraft 
contacts to ground and airborne assets and intercept them if they 
ventured into the No-Fly Zone. While with the 965th, he participated in 
numerous Red Flag training missions, which are the Air Force's 
equivalent of the Navy's Top Gun School.
  Johnny returned to the United States about a year later and was 
subsequently selected to be one of the first Airborne Surveillance 
Technicians to participate in the resurrection of the old 960th World 
War II bomber squad. While at the Base Exchange in Incirlik Air Force 
Base in Turkey, Johnny watched the television monitors as the first 
airliner impacted the World Trade Center on September 11, 2011. While 
with the 960th, he completed two tours with the Operation Northern 
Watch in the Northern part of Iraq, guiding American and allied 
aircraft to targets and monitoring enemy air defenses and missile 
sites. He had over 1,000 flight hours on the E-3 Sentry including 300 
combat hours. In 2003, he was promoted to Staff Sergeant and was 
selected for cross-training in the Air Force Combat Control.
  Johnny retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2005 and enrolled in 
Oklahoma State University's engineering program. He graduated in May 
2010 with a Bachelors of Science in Aerospace and Mechanical 
Engineering. During his academic career, Johnny used his engineering 
expertise to design a multitude of robotic unmanned aerial and ground 
systems. He recently accepted a position as an Aerospace Engineer at 
the Naval Surface War Center where he will be working with high-powered 
lasers, rail guns, conventional weapons, and unmanned aircraft
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in thanking Mr. Johnny Chandler for his 
honorable service to our great country, and wishing him the best of 
luck and health in his future endeavors.

[[Page E2156]]



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