New York Air National Guard Chief Master Sgt. Jonathan Brooks retired from the 174th Attack Wing during a retirement ceremony held at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, Syracuse, New York. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Duane Morgan)

LATHAM — The New York Air National Guard’s 174th Attack Wing said goodbye to Chief Master Sergeant Jonathan Brooks during a retirement ceremony in December held at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse.

Brooks has over 21 years in the Air Force and has been with the 174th Attack Wing for the last four years.

Brooks went to Air Force basic training in July of 2002 and, following basic training, remained at Lackland Air Force Base to attend Avionics Maintenance school.

In 2003, his first duty assignment was at Charleston Air Force Base in South Carolina.

There he would be assigned to the 437th Maintenance Squadron, where he worked as a C-17 avionics technician.

During that assignment, he also served two years as a member of the Charleston Air Force Base Honor Guard.

In 2007, Brooks retrained into the Imagery Analysis career field and volunteered for an assignment as a Remotely Piloted Aircraft Sensor Operator.

In this capacity, he has dedicated more than 16 years to the MQ-1/MQ-9 community.

Brooks has extensive experience in Mission Control Element operations. He has held qualifications as a multiple aircraft control, launch and recovery, instructor and flight examiner.

He’s logged more than 3,800 flight hours, with over 3,600 being combat hours.

Brooks has served in numerous positions within the remotely piloted aircraft community including assignments with the 432nd Wing, the United States Air Force Weapons School, and the 174th Attack Wing.

As a combat mission ready career enlisted aviator, Brooks has provided direct support to Operations Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn, Enduring Freedom, Freedom’s Sentinel, Inherent Resolve, Enduring Sentinel, Allies Refuge, and other overseas contingency operations.

For all of his outstanding achievements, Brooks received the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal during the ceremony.

During his retirement speech, Brooks thanked numerous members of his family and friends for being his support system during his military tenure.

Brooks also thanked members of the 174th Attack Wing and said it was a pleasure to work with such an amazing group of people.

The New York National Guard (New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs) is the state’s executive agency responsible to the Governor for managing New York’s Military Forces, which consists of nearly 20,000 members of the New York Army National Guard, the New York Air National Guard, the New York Naval Militia and the New York Guard.