[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 149 (Wednesday, October 23, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1557-E1558]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             TRIBUTE TO LIEUTENANT GENERAL DARRELL D. JONES

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GREGG HARPER

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 23, 2013

  Mr. HARPER. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to Lieutenant 
General Darrell D. Jones, Deputy Chief of Staff, Manpower, Personnel, 
and Services, Headquarters United States Air Force, for his 34 years of 
faithful service to our country. The Air Force's senior personnel 
officer, General Jones is responsible for comprehensive plans and 
policies covering all life cycles of military and civilian personnel 
management, including military and civilian end strength management, 
education and training, compensation, resource allocation, and the 
worldwide United States Air Force services program. Over the course of 
Lieutenant General Jones' distinguished career, he commanded a 
squadron, group, two wings and a direct reporting unit. As previous 
Commander, Air Force District of Washington, and Commander of the Air 
Force Forces for Joint Forces Headquarters-National Capital Region, he 
organized, trained and equipped combat forces for aerospace 
expeditionary forces, homeland operations, civil support, national 
special security events and ceremonial events. He also provided major 
command-level support for 60,000 worldwide military and civilian 
personnel and was the Uniform Code of Military Justice authority for 
40,000 Airmen.
   General Jones graduated from Mississippi State University's Reserve 
Officers' Training Corps Program in 1979. He began his career as a 
personnel officer at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona in the 
Consolidated Base Personnel Office. He excelled in a variety of jobs as 
the Chief of Customer Assistance, Chief of Quality Force, and Chief of 
Personnel Utilization. Immediately after this assignment, then-
Lieutenant Jones reported to Randolph Air Force Base, Texas where he 
was the Chief of the Assignment Analysis Branch and later the Executive 
Officer to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel at Headquarters Air 
Training Command. Then-Captain Jones reported to Washington, District 
of Columbia as part of the very elite Air Staff Training Program as a 
personnel adviser and board member of the Secretary of the Air Force 
Personnel Council.
   Then Captain-Jones and later Major-Jones held the first of his many 
assignments as a

[[Page E1558]]

leader in our Air Force, becoming the Consolidated Base Personnel 
Office Chief and Director of Personnel, and Commanding the Mission 
Support Squadron at McConnell Air Force Base. As a testament of his 
skills and abilities, he was chosen to attend in-residence professional 
military education at Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air 
Force Base, Alabama. Upon graduation, he showcased his talent in a 
variety of joint positions at Headquarters United States European 
Command, Stuttgart, Germany. He was the Chief of Entitlements, 
Compensation and Education, followed by Chief of the World War II 
Commemoration Branch and later Deputy Chief of the World War II 
Commemoration Division. Now-Lieutenant Colonel Jones was selected to 
return to Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama as an Air War College Student 
with a follow-on assignment to Headquarters United States Air Force as 
the Chief of Force Structure Plans and Policies in the Military 
Personnel Policy Directorate. Later, he was selected by the Deputy 
Chief of Staff, Personnel as the Chief of the Personnel Issues Team.
   Based on his successes and ready for increased responsibilities, 
now-Colonel Jones took command of the 62nd Support Group at McChord Air 
Force Base, Washington. He then became the Director of Personnel at 
Headquarters Pacific Air Forces at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii 
followed by Commanding the 66th Air Base Wing at Hanscom Air Force 
Base, Massachusetts. Later, he was selected as the Director of Manpower 
and Personnel at Headquarters United States Central Command at MacDill 
Air Force Base, Florida.
   Then-Brigadier General Jones took command of his second wing, the 
37th Training Wing at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, the largest wing 
in the Air Force at 21,000 people and graduating 60,000 Airmen from 
basic, technical, international and joint training annually. He 
followed command to Washington, District of Columbia, where he became 
the Director of Force Management Policy, Headquarters United States Air 
Force. In this position, he established force management policies 
guiding accessions, assignments, evaluations, skills analysis, 
promotions, readiness, retraining, separations and retirements of the 
Air Force's human capital. He also oversaw aspects of total force 
management to include contingency, mobilization, training management, 
and rated force policy.
   Now-Major General Jones with his vast knowledge and experience took 
command for a fifth time as the Commander of Air Force District of 
Washington and Commander of the Air Force Forces for Joint Forces 
Headquarters-National Capital Region at Andrews Air Force Base, 
Maryland. He was again extremely successful in this position which 
ultimately led to his most recent assignment as the Deputy Chief of 
Staff, Manpower, Personnel and Services, Headquarters United States Air 
Force where he and his team were responsible for comprehensive plans 
and policies covering all life cycles of military and civilian 
personnel management, and the delivery of fully-qualified, ready Airmen 
for the Joint warfighter while also meeting all the needs of our Airmen 
and their families. He planned, directed and evaluated programs, 
ensuring a qualified, productive and well-maintained work force of over 
180,000 civilian employees. Additionally, he oversaw the execution and 
programming of the Manpower, Personnel and Services portfolio with an 
annual $40.9 billion personnel budget for 660,000 military and civilian 
total force Airmen.
   Under General Jones' leadership, the Air Force implemented sweeping 
policy changes to enlisted developmental special duty assignments and 
the Air Force fitness program. He led the Secretary of the Air Force-
directed Personnel Readiness Review task force, ensuring our current 
population is ready to meet the needs of current and future war time 
requirements. Additionally, he led the Air Force Personnel Center in a 
historic consolidation with the former Air Force Manpower Agency and 
Air Force Services Agency, integrating three unique functional areas 
designed to reduce overhead, achieve efficiencies and maximize customer 
service. Finally, he guided Air Force senior leadership through the 
impacts of the Secretary of Defense's General Officer Efficiency Study. 
He provided critical Congressional interaction to ensure all timelines 
of the reductions were met. In every instance, General Jones was a 
steadfast advocate promoting the Air Force's mission, and its over 
660,000 Total Force Airmen and their families.
   Today, I wish Lieutenant General Darrell ``DJ'' Jones good luck and 
Godspeed as he retires and enters this next phase of his life. On 
behalf of the Congress and the United States of America, I thank 
General Jones, his wife Holly, their sons, Taylor and Stewart, and 
daughter-in-law Lindsay for their commitment, sacrifice, and 
contribution to this great Nation in protecting it and our way of life.

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