Florida native takes command of 920th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

  • Published
  • By Capt. Cathleen Snow
  • 920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
In an aircraft maintenance hangar with a backdrop of an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter, Maj. Jennifer West relinquished command of the 920th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here Dec. 5 to Lt. Col. David Cooksey during the 920th Rescue Wing's drill weekend.

A veteran of numerous overseas deployments, Major West is transferring to a staff position with the Alaska Air National Guard to broaden her military and civilian careers. In her civilian job she is a helicopter tour pilot for Denali National Park and Juneau, Alaska, as well as an oil and gas pilot in the Gulf of Mexico.

An Operation Desert Storm and Shield veteran, Lieutenant Colonel Cooksey was born in Jacksonville and entered the Air Force in 1985 receiving his commission four years later though the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Col.

Earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Affairs he served as a communications officer in various leadership positions before going inactive to start his own business in Jacksonville.

In 1996 he completed his Master's Degree in Business Administration, from the University of South Carolina and joined the Air Force Reserve in 2002 to continue to serve while expanding his civilian career as a business owner.

In the Air Force Reserve he continued to expand his job knowledge as executive officer in two diverse squadrons, eventually becoming the maintenance operations officer in a C-17 Globemaster squadron with 50 aircraft.

The 920th RQW is an Air Force Reserve unit which performs more than 20 percent of the Air Force's combat search and rescue missions. The Wing is comprised of 1,500 Airmen and flies both fixed and rotor wing aircraft: the HC-130P/N extended-range Hercules and the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter.

For more information on the 920th RQW, please check out the 920th Rescue Wing website and please become a fan of the 920th RQW on Facebook and Twitter.