Mr. Jason Austin is Chief of Public Affairs at Arnold Engineering Development Complex, Arnold Air Force Base, Tenn. He advises the Complex Commander with communicating the mission of the largest and most advanced complex of flight simulation test facilities in the world. The Complex employs more than 3,000 people and comprises more than 68 aerospace test facilities across eight states. With facilities at Arnold Air Force Base in middle Tennessee, with operating locations at Ames Research Center, Mountain View and Edwards AFB, California; Peterson AFB, Colorado; Eglin AFB, Florida; the Federal Research Center at White Oak, Maryland; Holloman AFB, Kirtland AFB, and White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico; Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, and Hill AFB, Utah, AEDC offers a suite of test capabilities to simulate speed, temperature, pressure and other parameters over a wide range to meet the needs of aerospace system developers. The test facilities simulate flight from subsonic to hypersonic speeds at altitudes from sea level to space.
Mr. Austin began his federal career in 2000 as an enlisted Army public affairs specialist at Fort Cpbell, Ky. Mr. Austin deployed to Iraq in 2003 with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) as the non-commissioned officer in charge of the 40th Public Affairs Detachment.
Mr. Austin left the Active Duty to became a Department of the Army civilian at Headquarters, U.S. Army Europe, Heidelberg, Germany, where he served as a photojournalist, webmaster and NATO exercise planner. He then left federal service and was a night editor for The Leaf-Chronicle, a mid-sized Gannett paper in Clarksville, Tenn. In 2008, Mr. Austin was asked to return to Heidelberg as a photojournalist, where he re-entered federal service. He then came to AEDC as the deputy director of public affairs in late 2009. In Dec. 2010, Mr. Austin became the Chief of Public Affairs, responsible for the Complex’s public affairs; protocol; visual information; science, technology, engineering and mathematics outreach program; and legislative liaison missions.
EDUCATION
1998 Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, Austin Peay State University, Tenn.
2005 Master of Arts in English Literature, Austin Peay State University, Tenn.
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. January 2000 – September 2000, U.S. Army Initial Entry Training, Fort Jackson, S.C.; Fort Meade, Md.
2. September 2000 – December 2002, Public Affairs Specialist and Editor, Fort Campbell Courier, U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Campbell, Ky.
3. December 2002 – January 2004, NCOIC, 40th Public Affairs Detachment, Fort Campbell, KY
4. February 2004 – October 2005, Photojournalist, Headquarters, U.S. Army Europe, Heidelberg, Germany
5. October 2005 – December 2006, Webmaster and NATO Exercise Planner, Headquarters, U.S. Army Europe, Heidelberg, Germany
6. February 2007 – April 2008, Night Editor, The Leaf-Chronicle, Clarksville, Tenn.
7. April 2008 – September 2009, Photojournalist, U.S. Army Garrison Baden-Württemberg, Heidelberg, Germany
8. September 2009 – December 2010, Public Affairs Deputy Director, Arnold Engineering Development Center, Arnold AFB, Tenn.
9. December 2010 – Present, Chief of Public Affairs, Arnold Engineering Development Complex, Arnold AFB, Tenn.
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION AND MAJOR AWARDS
Joint Contingency Public Affairs Course
Award for Civilian Achievement
Public Affairs Qualification Course
First Place, Tabloid Format Newspaper, Department of Defense Thomas Jefferson Award
Commander’s Award for Civilian Service
First Place, News Article, Department of the Army Keith L. Ware Award
Moss-Holland Civilian Journalist of the Year, IMCOM Europe Keith L. Ware Award
First Place, News Article and Feature Article, IMCOM Europe Keith L. Ware Award
First Place, Best Spot News Story, Tennessee Press Association
Third Place, Photojournalism, Department of the Army Keith L. Ware Award
First place, Command Information Campaign, Department of the Army Keith L. Ware Award
Iraq Campaign Medal with two bronze service stars
First Place, Single, Stand-Alone Photograph, Department of the Army Keith L. Ware Award
(Current as of July 2021)