Lt. Col. Jason R. Hurt is the commander of the 169th Airlift Squadron at the 182nd Airlift Wing located in Peoria, Illinois. He leads a squadron of commissioned and enlisted Airmen who conduct tactical airlifts and airdrops on federal and state missions in the C-130H Hercules aircraft.
Lt. Col. Hurt began his military career in 1999 when he enlisted in the 182nd Aircraft Generation Squadron as a C-130 crew chief before cross-training to become a C-130 flight engineer in 2003. After being selected for pilot training by the 169th Airlift Squadron, he received his commission in 2009 through the Academy of Military Science. He served in various roles at the squadron, group and wing levels including chief of aircrew training, chief pilot and standardization and evaluation pilot.
Lt. Col. Hurt brings a diverse range of experience overseeing critical wing initiatives. He led a cross-functional tiger team conducting a strategic basing analysis to validate the wing's capacity to support the C-130J, directly contributing to the wing's selection for C-130J conversion. His extensive operational experience includes multiple deployments in support of Operations Joint Forge, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, Inherent Resolve, Freedom’s Sentinel and New Normal. Prior to his current position, the lieutenant colonel was the chief of wing plans and integration, 182nd Airlift Wing, Peoria, Illinois.
EDUCATION
2008 Bachelor of Science, Law Enforcement and Justice Administration, Western Illinois University, Macomb
2009 Academy of Military Science, McGhee-Tyson Air National Guard Base, Knoxville, Tenn.
2010 Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Naval Air Training Command, NAS Corpus Christi, Texas
2011 C-130E/H Pilot Initial and Mission Qualification Course, Air Education and Training Command, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
2013 C-130H Aircraft Commander Pilot Checkout Course, Air Education and Training Command, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
2015 ANG Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Course, Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center, St. Joseph, Mo.
2017 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
2017 C-130H Pilot Instructor Qualification, Air Education and Training Command, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
2021 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
2023 USAF Advanced Instrument School, Air Force Flight Standards Agency, Oklahoma City, Okla.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1999 – October 2003, Aerospace Maintenance Specialist, 182nd Aircraft Generation Squadron, Peoria, Ill. (March 2003 – August 2003, C-130E Crew Chief, 486th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, Southwest Asia)
2. October 2003 – July 2004, Student, C-130 Flight Engineer Initial Qualification Course, 714th Training Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Texas
3. July 2004 – August 2009, C-130E/H Flight Engineer, 169th Airlift Squadron, Peoria, Ill. (April 2005 – June 2005 and August 2005 – October 2005, C-130E/H Flight Engineer, 737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, Southwest Asia; September 2008 – October 2008, C-130H Flight Engineer, 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Bagram AB, Afghanistan)
4. August 2009 – October 2010, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, 85th Flying Training Squadron, Laughlin AFB, Texas and Training Squadron 31, NAS Corpus Christi, Texas)
5. October 2010 – May 2011, Student, C-130H Pilot Initial Qualification Course, 714th Training Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
6. May 2011 – June 2017, C-130 Pilot, 169th Airlift Squadron, Peoria, Ill. (November 2011 – March 2012, C-130 Pilot, 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Bagram AB, Afghanistan; December 2016 – March 2017, C-130 Pilot, 779th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, Southwest Asia.)
7. June 2017 – June 2020, Chief of Aircrew Training, 182nd Operations Support Squadron, Peoria, Ill. (October 2019 – January 2020, C-130 Pilot, 779th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, Southwest Asia)
8. June 2020 – October 2022, Standardization and Evaluation Pilot, 182nd Operations Group, Peoria, Ill.
9. October 2022 – November 2024, Chief of Wing Plans and Integration, 182nd Airlift Wing, Peoria, Ill. (February 2024 – June 2024, Assistant Director of Operations, 75th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Republic of Djibouti)
10. November 2024 – Present, Commander, 169th Airlift Squadron, Peoria, Ill.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: senior pilot
Flight hours: More than 4,500 (including 849 combat hours)
Aircraft flown: T-6A, T-44A, C-130E/H
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Achievement Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2002 Airman of the Year, 182nd Aircraft Generation Squadron
2005 Flight Engineer of the Year, 169th Airlift Squadron
2010 Commodore’s List, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training
2011 Distinguished Graduate, C-130 Pilot Initial Qualification Course
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
National Guard Association of Illinois (lifetime member)
National Guard Association of the United States (lifetime member)
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant April 24, 2009
First Lieutenant April 24, 2011
Captain April 24, 2013
Major May 06, 2017
Lieutenant Colonel October 26, 2022
(Current as of March 2025)