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AFDW adds two Air Reserve senior leaders to headquarters staff

  • Published
  • By Linda Card
  • AFDW Public Affairs
BOLLING AIR FORCE BASE, D.C. --  Two Air Force Reserve senior officers have been added to the Air Force District of Washington headquarters staff.

Brig. Gen. James "JJ" F. Jackson, currently serving as the mobilization assistant to the commander of the Air Force Doctrine Center, Maxwell AFB, AL, will serve as the MA to the AFDW commander, Maj. Gen. Robert Smolen, while Col. Laura Ann Talbot, 440th Medical Squadron commander, General Mitchell International Airport, Air Reserve Station, Milwaukee, WI., will assume MA duties to the AFDW command surgeon.

"We are honored to welcome General Jackson and Colonel Talbot to the AFDW family," said General Smolen. "They are absolutely outstanding leaders whose experience will be of tremendous benefit to both our Air Force and joint missions. I am honored to have them as members of the AFDW team."

General Jackson, a California native, entered the Air Force in 1978 as a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. He is a career fighter pilot, instructor pilot, and standardization and evaluation flight examiner, he also flew combat support missions during Operations Deny Flight and Allied Force. General Jackson has held numerous squadron and wing command and leadership positions, as well as key staff assignments at the MAJCOM, joint, and air staff level. He is a command pilot with more than 3,400 hours in the F-4, F-16, and KC-135R. When not in uniform for the Air Force Reserve, General Jackson is a Captain with Southwest Airlines in Orlando, Fla.

Colonel Talbot's previous assignment was as an emergency preparedness liaison officer for the Air Force National Security Emergency Preparedness Agency. There she served as the Air Force emergency planning liaison officer to the Maryland and District of Columbia Office of the Adjutant General for planning and coordination of Air Force support concerning domestic support operations, including military support to civil authorities and continuity of government. She advised on Air Force plans, policies and procedures for providing support to civil authorities during peacetime natural disasters, civil and national security emergencies, and also served as the liaison to the Maryland State Area Command Emergency Operations Center during disasters and national security emergencies.

"The addition of this key medical position is an important step in the development of the AFDW surgeon general's staff. In the event of a crisis, AFDW will rapidly expand its staff to simultaneously manage deployment as well as employment of our personnel," said Brig. Gen. Gar S. Graham, AFDW command surgeon.

"The MA will augment the AFDW Command Surgeon's capability to meet his critical medical contingency and wartime requirements. AFDW provides the Air Force component to the Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ)-National Capitol Region as required. The Reserve program and the leadership it provides becomes increasingly more important for us as we execute the multitude of command taskings within the NCR," Graham said.

General Smolen said the addition of the two positions shows that "General Bradley (Lt. Gen. Lt. Gen. John A. Bradley, chief of Air Force Reserve and commander, Air Force Reserve Command) is a strong supporter of the AFDW mission and believes the total force package in the NCR is essential."