NY Air Guard Tech. Sgt. Jessica Locci, a Parish resident, named Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year

Local woman is top non-commissioned officer for the New York Air National Guard and Air Guard in the northeast

Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, NY (03/15/2024) — New York Air National Guard Technical Sergeant Jessica Locci, a member of the 174th Attack Wing and a resident of Parish, has been selected as the top non-commissioned officer of the year for 2023 for the New York Air National Guard and the Air Guard in the northeast.

Locci is a MQ-9 Reaper maintenance instructor assigned to the 174th Maintenance Group Field Training Detachment of the 174th Attack Wing, based at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, N.Y.

The Field Training Detachment is a MQ-9 and Ground Control Station (GCS) maintenance school house. The student base consists of local Syracuse members, other MQ-9 Air National Guard units, United States Air Force active duty, and various NATO ally maintainers. Students attend training at the Field Training Detachment to learn maintenance and theory of the MQ-9 aircraft or GCS systems.

As an aircraft maintenance instructor, Locci's duties include creating courseware, teaching four courses, and maintaining an aircraft for ground training.

Aircraft maintenance instructors complete a specialized instructor course followed by over 100 hours of supervised instruction and three instructor evaluations.

Locci enlisted in the Air National Guard in 2014. She worked as a production controller in maintenance operations for three years before becoming a full-time instructor.

Locci was named Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year for the New York Air National Guard after competing against winners at five other New York Air National Guard wings last year.

She has now been named the non-commissioned officer of the Year for Region 1, which encompasses the eight northeastern states.

Locci will now be evaluated against other Air Guard Airmen from across the country to be named the best in the 100,000-member Air National Guard.

"It is gratifying to have the chance to showcase the fantastic work of the Maintenance Group," Locci said.

Locci added that she hopes to motivate fellow Airmen of the 174th Attack Wing to improve themselves and their organization.

Col. John O'Connor, the commander of the 174th Attack Wing, praised Locci for her dedication.

""Tech. Sgt Locci not only raised the standard within our wing but has since been recognized at both the state and region 1 level. It's a tremendous accomplishment and a direct reflection on all the quality Airmen that are part of the 174th Attack Wing," O'Connor said.

The 174th Attack Wing, based at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, New York, operates and maintains the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft. In addition to remotely operating the MQ-9 overseas, Airmen from the 174th staff the base's formal training unit and field training detachment where U.S. Air Force officers and enlisted Airmen receive MQ-9 pilot, sensor operator, and maintenance instruction.

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