About this episode
Derek Jones shares his journey from becoming a Top Gun pilot in the Air Force to pursuing a calling in ministry.
Derek Jones was following in his father's footsteps when he pursued military service after high school. His father had been a prominent and highly respected musical leader in both the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Marine Corps. Derek chose Air Force ROTC at Samford University in pursuit of becoming a fighter pilot. He succeeded and became an elite, Top Gun-winning pilot in the F-111. When that plane was shelved by the military, Jones started flying F-16's. But two decades into his Air Force career, Jones felt a new calling - the ministry. In this edition of Veterans Chronicles , Jones takes us through the triumphs and tears of pilot training, choosing the F-111, an air show manuever in Europe that nearly landed him in very hot water, and a particularly rough mission over Iraq. Jones also explains how his faith became far more serious while in the Air Force and what eventually led him away from the cockpit and towards the pulpit. He also explains the work he does now to defend religious liberty inside and outside of the military.
People in this episode
Guest: Derek Jones
Topics covered
- military service
- pilot training
- religious liberty
- personal journey
- Air Force history
Keywords
- Derek Jones
- Air Force
- F-111
- F-16
- religious liberty
- pilot training
- military service
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, Samford University
Products: F-111, F-16
Places: Iraq
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