Elmendorf couple make history in F-15

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Mikal Canfield
  • 3rd Wing Public Affairs
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Summer is the perfect time of year for couples to get out of the house and enjoy the great outdoors together. One Elmendorf couple took that to a whole new extreme. 

Maj. Carey Jones and Capt. Blaine Jones became the first married couple to fly an alert practice scramble mission together here June 6. 

Flying a two-ship of F-15Cs, the Joneses - the major in one aircraft and the captain in the other - completed the scramble and followed that with a training sortie during the historic flight. 

"It was neat that we had the opportunity to fly that mission," said Captain Jones. "Since it was the first time I've been able to fly with my wife, that made it memorable as well." 

Major Jones is the 19th Fighter Squadron assistant director of operations, while Captain Jones is the 19th FS F-15 standards and evaluations liaison officer. They've been married more than three years. 

"American skies are guarded by American Airmen. This is one of many great examples of the Airmen's contribution to joint employment on a day-to-day basis," said Col. David Timm, 611th Air Operations Group commander. "Husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters all work together to accomplish the joint missions whenever and wherever we're called to duty."

Alert Practice Scrambles are missions that test the base's ability to respond to real-world events, with the objective being to get airborne in as little time as possible with live ammunition. This tests not only the aircrew's ability to get ready, but also the maintenance personnel and their ability to have the aircraft prepared for departure. 

Elmendorf always has two pilots on alert, and scrambles are practiced a couple of times a week. 

Captain Jones added, "It was like any other mission, the exception being that we're flying jets with real missiles" - and that his wife was in the other jet. 

"I didn't think about my wife being in the other aircraft and just focused on just doing the job I was trained to do," he said. 

"It was exciting to contemplate, but once we were in the jets it was just like any other sortie - you fly like you've trained," said Major Jones. 

Major Jones downplayed the historical aspect of the flight, preferring instead to focus on what this means for the Air Force. 

"I'm not sure I would go as far to label this as having 'historical significance,' but I think it means we've come a long way as a nation and an Air Force, allowing everyone the opportunity to fight and serve," she said. "It will be a good day when it no longer warrants media attention." 

Whatever the Joneses do with the rest of their summer, it will be hard to top their first flight together.