Selma native selected for promotion to Brigadier General

Published 9:42 am Tuesday, April 5, 2022

U.S. Air Force Col. Otis Jones is awaiting the biggest promotion of his career while serving at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Jones was nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general Jan. 7, 2021. His official pin-on date is to be determined.

Jones was honored at Selma High School on April 1. Jones is a 1990 graduate of Selma High School and attended Cedar Park Elementary School.

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Jones said he was honored to speak at Selma High and celebrate the prestigious achievement in his life.

“It’s an absolute pleasure speaking at my alma mater,” Jones said. “I don’t always get a chance to come back to Selma.”

Jones said the foundation for a stellar Air Force career began in Selma.

Jones was a star point guard on the Selma High basketball team, playing for the late coach A.A. Sewell and Willie Maxey.

“I’m thankful for the teachers at Selma High,” Jones said. “Basketball opened the door.”

Former Selma City Schools Superintendent Dr. Donald Jefferson praised Jones for his outstanding military career.

“Otis C. Jones is a giant in the military world,” Jefferson said. “He has made the city of Selma proud and the young generation would say, he’s done a lot of stuff.”

Jones built an impressive resume in the Air Force back to 1995.

In the Air Force, Jones became a star point guard at Air Force and left as the Falcons’ second career scoring leader with 2,003 points. He graduated from Air Force in 1995.

Jones is the only player named All-Western Athletic Conference three straight years. His honors include earning the Bob Beckel Team MVP honor for the 1994-1995 season for the 1994-1995 season and the school’s Athletic Excellence Award in 1994 and 1995.

After graduating from the Air Force,  Jones completed undergraduate pilot training in 1997 at Corpus Chrisi Naval Air Station.

As a Col., Jones took command of the Yokota Air Base in Japan in 2018. The Yokota Air Base is the 374th Airlift Wing and part of the U.S. Air Force assigned to the Fifth Air Force.

During his Air Force career, T-37B, T-44A, C-130E, C-17A and C-130J aircrafts.

“I’m proud to be part of something bigger than myself,” Jones said.