Lt Col Jay “SPINS” Park is the Commander of 341st Recruiting Squadron located in San Antonio, Texas. He leads a squadron of nine flights, two Military Entrance Processing stations, with 109 personnel across Texas and Louisiana, covering 125,000 square miles. He partners with military, civic, community and educational organizations to inspire, engage, and recruit future Airmen and Guardians to deliver airpower for America. He manages a $1.6 million budget, 83 vehicles, and 48 recruiting offices. The squadron's mission is to inspire, engage, and recruit diverse, highly qualified applicants to ensure our Nation’s continued Total Force dominance through Air, Space, and Cyberspace.
Lt Col Park commissioned from ROTC in December 2005 with a degree in Aerospace Engineering. He entered active duty in 2006 and earned his Aeronautical Rating as a Navigator in 2007. He also earned his Master of Arts degree in Human Relations in 2015. Prior to assuming his current position, Lt Col Park was the commander of Air Force Recruiting Service’s Detachment 1. The only detachment focused on rated diversity improvement for the Air Force. He was also an instructor in the T-38C teaching future fighter pilots and weapons systems officers on fundamentals of flying fighter aircraft and an instructor in the T-1A teaching undergraduate combat systems officers. Lastly, he flew over 300 combat hours in support of Operation Enduring Freedom while deployed to Afghanistan and Djibouti.
EDUCATION
2005 Bachelor of Science, Aerospace Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Okla.
2013 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2015 Master of Arts, Human Relations, University of Oklahoma, Okla.
2019 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 2006 – April 2008, Student, Undergraduate Navigator Training, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.
2. May 2008 – June 2009, Student, Basic Course, 334th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
3. July 2009 – June 2012, F-15E Weapon Systems Officer, 492nd Fighter Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom
4. July 2012 – June 2016, Instructor, T-38C Weapon Systems Officer, 435th Fighter Training Squadron, Randolph AFB, Texas.
5. July 2016 – July 2018, Deputy Chief, Master Air Attack Plans, 607th Air Operations Center, Osan Air Base, South Korea.
6. August 2018 – January 2020, Instructor, T-1A Combat Systems Officer, 451st Flying Training Squadron, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.
7. February 2020 – August 2020, Chief, Instructor Training School, 479th Operations Support Squadron, Pensacola, Fla.
8. September 2020 – April 2021, Director of Operations, Air Force Recruiting Squadron, Detachment 1, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas.
9. April 2021 – April 2023, Commander, Air Force Recruiting Service, Detachment 1, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas.
10. April 2023 – Present, Commander, 341st Recruiting Squadron, San Antonio, Texas.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Master Combat Systems Officer
Total flight hours: 1,312
Combat flight hours: 306
Aircraft flown: T-6, T-1A, T-38C, F-15E
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant January 1, 2006
First Lieutenant January 1, 2008
Captain January 1, 2010
Major April 1, 2016
Lieutenant Colonel June 1, 2021
(Current as of April 2024)