Jake Herron

Mr. Jake Herron, Jr.

Jake Herron, Jr. was born June 18, 1939 in Mobile, Alabama. He graduated from Central High School Mobile, Alabama in 1957.

Jake enlisted in the United States Air Force in June 1957. He completed four weeks of basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas and was assigned to Scott Air Force Base, Illinois for nine months of technical school. At Scott Air Force Base, he graduated from airborne radar and navigation school. In April 1958, A1C Herron Proceeded to Travis Air Force Base, California. While at Travis Air Force Base he was assigned to 1501st CE Maintenance Squadron as a radar/navigation aircraft repairman where he worked on C-97, C-124, and C-133A aircraft as well as many other aircraft that transited Travis Air Force Base. He achieved A2C while at Travis and was discharged in June 1960.

He returned to Mobile, Alabama where he enrolled in Tuskegee Institute to study electrical engineering. Lacking funds to continue studies, he withdrew in December 1962 and entered Civil Service, as WB-08, at Brookley AFB in Mobile, Alabama. His first assignment at Brookley was as a radar equipment installer in the depot repair facility. In March 1963 he was the casualty of a base wide reduction-in-force (RIF). The RIF resulted in him being reassigned to the depot flightline as an airborne electrician. In June 1964 he was promoted to WB-10 and became a flightline team leader. In June 1965 he was promoted to WB-11 as a F-105 radar and bombing/navigation systems repairman. Soon after this assignment, the base was selected as one of the many military installation that would be closed. His next base was McClellan AFB and reported there in June 1967. While at McClellan, he entered American River Junior College as a part time student. In December 1970 he left Civil Service and entered fulltime studies at University of California, Davis. He graduated in March 1973 with a BS Degree in Electrical Engineering. Also in March 1973 he accepted employment with General Electric Corporation at their Nuclear Energy Division in San Jose, California. He left GE in November 1974 and returned to Civil Service as a GS-07 electrical engineer at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. At Redstone, he worked in the Army Missile Command research and development laboratory. While at Redstone he developed a non-lethal method for testing microelectronic beam lead devices and was granted a patent for this process in January 1978. While at Redstone he was promoted to GS-09. In October 1977, he left Redstone to go to work with Tactical Air Warfare Center (now 53d Wing) as a GS-11 electrical engineer. His first assignment at TAWC was as system engineer for the ALR-62 radar-warning receiver on F-111 aircraft. His ALR-62 responsibilities were for design of mission data and testing of both mission data updates and other software and hardware changes. In November 1978, he was promoted to GS-12 and assumed the team leadership position for the ALR-62 team. In November 1980 he was promoted to GM-13 position and became the technical advisor for the radar warning receiver flight. His GM-13 duties included ensuring that all radar warning receivers were programmed with required mission data to provide aircrew warning of current and future air defense systems parameters. In July 1989, he was promoted to GM-14 Technical Advisor (TA). His GM-14 TA duties included analysis of future hostile air defense system and determining what USAF CAF radar warning system performances were required to counter these future air defense system capabilities. While in this position, he also provided support to the Group TA and DCS effort to establish support requirements for a new start E-3A ESM system.

His final assignment at Eglin 53d Wing was as the TA for the 68th Electronic Warfare Squadron. His 68th duties included providing TA support for the CAF’s lethal SEAD and the CAF’s, NATO, and French E-3 ESM system support as well as determining what was needed to ensure readiness to provide Emergency Reprogramming Center and Reachback support.

Jake’s awards include numerous outstanding and sustained performance awards, letters of commendations and appreciations.

Jake leaves to cherish his memories his devoted wife Marie S. Herron, his sons Nicholas J. Herron and Christopher B. Herron all of Niceville; his daughter Djuana D. Herron of Stone Mountain, Georgia and his only grandson Jonathan B. Cummings of Atlanta, Georgia. He is also survived by his loving sisters Bonnie Jean Herron of Covington, Georgia and Barbara H. Brown of Mobile, Alabama; niece Rowana C. Allen of Snellville, Georgia; his nephews Terrance (Latonja) Herron of Mobile, Alabama and Kenyatta (Natasha) Brown of Lithonia, Georgia; his brothers and sister in law John W. Stone, Laura )Ellie) Brake, Jimmy (Veronica) Stone Jr., Anne (Gary) Parks, Linda Stone, Walter Stone all of Huntsville, Alabama; a host of great nieces  and nephews; fraternity brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Inc; and a host of other relatives and friends to numerous to mention.

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