Col. Joseph “Jay” Geaney,
commander
189th Airlift Wing
Col. Joseph “Jay” Geaney is no stranger to central Arkansas, having been assigned to Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville previously in 2006. Nor is he a stranger to aviation under duress, having flown more than 5,000 hours, including 567 combat sorties.
Since 2013, he has applied that knowledge and experience in the friendlier surroundings of LRAFB, attached to the Arkansas Air National Guard. As commander of the 189th Airlift Wing, comprised of more than 1,000 airmen, four groups and 11 squadrons, he leads the Air Force’s premier C-130H formal training unit, graduating United States, allied and partner airmen through the full spectrum of aircrew qualifications.
He said one of the things that he relishes in his current role is continuing the tradition of training American citizens committed to defending and protecting the homeland.
“From the National Guard perspective, we have a unique mission set and a unique sense of pride,” he said. “Most of our airmen are citizen airmen; they’re out in the community working day to day, and just like the old commercials said, they serve one weekend a month, two weeks a year when they come for military duty.
“We have a profound respect for the local community because we’re a part of the community. I think that builds a lot of the pride that we show in our campus and the maintenance of our aircraft and the quality of the students that we put out to the combatant commanders.”
Geaney said the support and gratitude expressed by the community in return, as well as the Natural State’s quality of life, were major factors as to why he returned to Arkansas following his active duty career.
“I was actually stationed here from 2006 to 2010, and we loved it. Both my kids are Arkansans,” he said. “We moved to Illinois to take a headquarters position while I was still on active duty, and then I separated active duty and returned to Arkansas to join the Arkansas Air National Guard.
“[As a family], we definitely sense the pride the surrounding cities and towns in central Arkansas have for the base. Even though I’m originally from Massachusetts and my wife’s from Indiana, Arkansas has always felt like home for us.”
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