Capt. Jon Gabriel

Rank and name: Capt. Jon Gabriel Duty Title/Unit: Aircraft Commander B-52, 5th OSS Hometown: Rosemount, Minnesota “When I was in 2nd grade, I became really interested in space and wanted to become an astronaut. I was told the best way to chase that dream was to join the Air Force. As I got older, I didn't want to be an astronaut anymore, but the desire to join the Air Force and work in aviation stayed with me. I joined AFROTC at Iowa State University and got my pilot slot and the rest is history. My challenges change every day. My first duty is being an aircraft commander and making sure I am ready for whatever comes up in the nuclear and conventional realm. As a flight scheduler, I need to take inputs from maintenance, the bomb squadrons and several other agencies off base to be able to create something that works for all of them. It can be challenging at times, but you create great cross-organizational relationships and each day is different. At the end of the day, it feels rewarding to know you got through the challenges and you look forward to the next ones. Understanding deterrence on a global scale can be overwhelming and difficult to comprehend since there are so many moving parts that all come together to contribute to the mission. To be a part of that invokes a strong sense of pride in myself and this country. You have to hold yourself and others accountable at all times in order to ensure the mission is carried out -- there is no room for error. It brings on a huge responsibility, but to see the world, see the effects and ultimately contribute to maintaining our national security; it makes the mission less daunting and something I enjoy being a part of.” (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Brandon Shapiro)