ANDREWS AFB, Md. –
One might imagine there would have to be several twists and turns in the life of a man who started out as an airman basic and currently serves in the D.C. Air National Guard as a brigadier general, especially when the man was a medical student who had never been on a plane.
"My father gave me a gift one year -- a ride in a biplane," said Brigadier General Jeffery Johnson, 113th Wing commander. "I'd never even been on an airplane before. I got the aviation bug and I was hooked." The pre-med student turned his efforts to flying and set a new goal for himself: to be a pilot.
"I was at the student union one day at the University of Maryland and saw a Navy recruiter standing there with an ad of an F-18 shooting a missile out of it and I thought to myself, 'That's something I'd like to do someday," said General Johnson. "I almost joined the Navy, but was sitting in an aviation history class, which fulfilled a history elective, and met a guy who was in [the 113 WG] and a pilot. I had never even heard of the Air National Guard before. He gave me the name and number of the recruiter. I called up and said, 'I want to be a pilot,' and he told me, 'Well, we just don't make anyone pilots.'" The recruiter convinced him to enlist and in May 1983, Mr. Johnson became Airman Basic Johnson.
Airman Johnson was given a choice of several career paths, but since the crew chief option was not on the table, he looked for other areas where he could meet pilots and work on planes. "I ended up as a weapons loader," said General Johnson. "I wanted to be with pilots so I took this job to be with them and, of course, the planes."
Airman Johnson was commissioned December 1984.
In his 26 years in the DCANG, General Johnson says his most memorable moments are of the people he has worked with throughout the years. "We spend more time with each other -- it's about people and some of the characters you work with," said General Johnson.
One of the highs of General Johnson's career was being selected for the Air Force Fighter Weapons School. "That's a definite highlight."
General Johnson said another highlight of his life is his marriage to Liz and their 2-year-old son, Dillon. "It's a total blessing to have my family because when I leave this fast pased job, I go home to a great family."
"Looking back on my career, I've enjoyed all of it," said General Johnson. "To know I started out as an enlisted man here, and now I'm in charge of the unit -- that's pretty cool."