Military Veterans

Jack E. Sloderbeck, III

Date of Birth

24 June 1967

Brick Location

Liberty Side

Panel Number

26A

Biography

Master Sergeant Jack E. Sloderbeck III served in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years, from 1989 to 2009. 

He was born 24 June 1967, in Wichita, KS, to Jack and Carolyn Sloderbeck, and graduated from Bluestem High School in Leon, KS, in 1985.

He enlisted in the Delayed Enlistment Program in April 1988 and entered active duty on 30 March 1989.  Upon completion of basic traiining at Lackland AFB, TX, he attended the F-15 Avionics Test Station and Component Specialist—Automatic Equipment Technical School for 9 months at Lowry AFB, Colorado.

Upon graduating in 1990, his first assignment was to the 325th Component Repair Squadron, Tyndall AFB, FL, as an Avionics Specialist where he repaired avionics line replaceable units on the F-15 A/B aircraft.  While at Tyndall, he was promoted to Senior Airman and selected as the Squadron Airman of the Quarter for the first two quarters of 1991.

In October 1992, he was sent to Lakenheath, United Kingdom.  During his three years in Europe, he continued to excel as an F-15 Journeyman, attended Airman Leadership School, and was promoted to Staff Sergeant in July of 1995.  The F-111 career field was merged with the F-15 Avionics to make room for personnel caught without an aircraft.  Sergeant Sloderbeck and one other troop were merged in the wrong direction.

In October 1995, Sergeant Sloderbeck received orders for Cannon AFB, NM, as an EF-111 Jamming Subsystems Journeyman.  He quickly became a "Go To" guy on the electronics of an airframe slated for the "Bone Yard."  Sergeant Sloderbeck was awarded the 27th Component Repair Squadron Maintenance Professional of the Quarter in 1997; 27th Component Repair Squadron NCO of the Year, 1997; and 27th Logistics Group NCO of the Year, 1997.

In June of 1998, Sergeant Sloderbeck received orders for the 46th Maintenance Squadron, Eglin AFB, FL.  He became involved in many test and development programs such as the AIM-9X, Suite 5 upgrade, and JHMICS to name a few.  He was promoted to Technical Sergeant in May 2001 and attended the NCO Academy in September 2002.  Sergeant Sloderbeck was garnered the 2002 46th Maintenance Squadron General Leo Marquez Maintenance Award and the privilege of meeting another "A-76" assignment team when the 46th Test Wing went to civilian contract.  
On Valentine's Day 2003, Sergeant Sloderbeck arrived at his "first choice" in the Base of Preference Program, Mountain Home AFB, ID.  He was immediately chosen to lead a historical F-15  AIS AEF deployment by pioneering the first-ever movement of Electronic Systems Test Set into the AOR.  Sergeant Sloderbeck's sound management produced 188 F-15 line replaceable units in direct support of 12 - 391st Bold Tiger F-15's flying 750 combat missions in Operations Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom  and the task of "bringing down the Ace of Spades" while in theater.  On December 1, 2005, Sergeant Sloderbeck became a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer.

During his six-year stay at "the Home of the Gunfighters" Master Sergeant Sloderbeck held the titles of F-15/F-16 Avionics Production Supervisor, F-15/F-16 Avionics Assistant Section Chief, F-15 Avionics Section Chief, Avionics Flight Chief, and 366th Component Maintenance Squadron Production Superintendent.

Also while at Mountain Home, he was part of several prestigious awards—366th Maintenance Group Lance P. Sijan NCO Leadership Award Winner (2004), 366th Maintenance Group winning 2004 and 2006 Air Combat Command Daedalian Maintenance Trophy, 2005 Thomas Garrity Award, and 2007 Commander-in-Chief Installation Excellence Award.  

Master Sergeant Sloderbeck's wife is the former Linda Braden of Augusta, KS.  They were married in March of 1988.  They have two children:  Danielle, a junior at Boise State University majoring in Pre-Med, and Jesse, a senior at Mountain Home High School.

Branch:

U.S. Air Force

Awards and Medals

Rank

Master Sergeant

Years

Career NCO—1989 - 2009