Serving with honor:
Ben Jones ’00
How did you get into the field you’re in now? There’s never been a day in my life that I didn’t want to fly. I watched my uncle who was an Air Force Thunderbird pilot growing up, and that’s all I ever wanted to do. I knew the direction of each step towards an airplane cockpit for pretty much my entire life. I believe God specifically tailors our DNA to suit what He intends for us to do, and I always asked Him to show me what it was. The path never looks quite like we think it will though. In what ways did Dunham prepare you? Dunham was an excellent environment to prepare for the challenges of becoming a military and commercial pilot. The academic challenges were my number one adversary, and having a cadre of Godly men and women helping me believe in myself when it felt impossible was huge. All it takes is one teacher or one coach to encourage and believe in the kid who struggles, and it can be the difference for him or her for the rest of his or her life. It is difficult to see the impact of the positive and the negative things we do and say to those we lead — it is an epic and eternal responsibility. The athletic field is a perfect training ground for life’s challenges because it is a combat environment similar to the real battlefield. It prepares men and women by teaching teamwork, trust, how to lead and follow, and how to fight through fear. Any time you face a situation that makes you dig deep down in your gut to persevere through a challenge, it is a good thing. I learned to never, never, never ever give in or give up. What do you consider your greatest achievement so far? I always wanted to be a husband and a father, and hopefully I’m succeeding at both. Hopefully championing my children as my parents did me is my crowning personal achievement. Regarding professional achievements, I would have to say that graduating #1 in my Air Force pilot training class after years and years of pursuit was incredibly rewarding. 42
Ben Jones is a C-130 Aircraft Commander in the Air Force Reserve, commercial pilot for Delta Air Lines, cancer survivor, family man, and proud multi-time Dunham Field Day pie eating contest winner. Ben, who graduated from Louisiana Tech, currently lives in Pensacola, Florida. He and his wife, Wendy, have four children, Stephen, Katelyn, Madalyn, and Colton.
