Thursday, Nov. 13, 2003 | 8:56 a.m.
A Las Vegas High School class of 2001 graduate is keeping an F-16 fighter ready to fly missions in Italy. Airman 1st Class Matthew Jackson, son of James Jackson of Las Vegas, is an F-16 maintenance crew chief with the 555th Fighter Squadron deployed to Aviano Air Base.
The combined NATO and American base at Aviano provides combat support in its cover zone of southern Europe, the Balkans, the Middle East and northern Africa.
"I'm responsible for all the maintenance, repairs, and inspections on the F-16 I'm assigned to," Jackson said. "It's my job to ensure it's always ready to fly missions safely and effectively."
As a major player in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, Jackson's fighter unit has been involved in operations that span most of southern Europe. Members can find themselves drilling with troops in Israel, or in the field for a NATO inspection on short notice. But, in between mission commitments, duty in Italy has its rewards, the airman said.
"I love the scenery that Italy has to offer -- it's a beautiful place," he said, noting the cultural and natural sights of ancient Rome and Switzerland are both within reach of his home away from home at Aviano.
Deployment complete
The sons of two Las Vegas families recently completed an eight-month deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on board the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.
Navy Seaman Charles Brotherson, son of Cynthia Arney and Charles Brotherson of Las Vegas, and Navy Airman Samuel Durfee, son of Linda Kern of Las Vegas, were part of a Vinson team that helped launch more than 10,000 aircraft sorties while covering 60,000 nautical miles, the equivalent to two trips around the world
Brotherson is a 1996 graduate of Bonanza High School, and Durfee is a 1995 graduate of South Sevier High School of Monroe, Utah.
Warrior of the Week
Airman 1st Class Donald Patton Jr., a Las Vegas native, was recently featured in the Nellis Air Force Base weekly newspaper, the Bullseye, as a Nellis "Warrior of the Week." Patton, who has been in the Air Force 2 1/2 years and at Nellis for six months, is a public health technician assigned to the 99th Aerospace Medicine Squadron.
A 2000 graduate of Cimarron-Memorial High School and son of Donald Patton and Patricia Patton and grandson of Elizabeth Bell, all of Las Vegas, Patton was featured in the paper for his work ethic.
"A1C Patton has been a superb addition to the team aerospace and has already made a positive impact in a few short months," noted the Bullseye item.
According to Patton, his favorite Air Force memory thus far is when his commander called his grandmother to inform her her grandson had been promoted to senior airman.
In brief
All three of the Nevada recruits ended their training phase with The Crucible, a 54-hour, team evolution culminating in an emotional ceremony in which recruits are presented the Marine Corps Emblem, and addressed as "Marines" for the first time in their careers.
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