Jones named 131st Bomb Wing's Missions Support Group commander Published May 1, 2010 By Rachel Knight UPAR WHITEMAN AFB -- Lt. Col. Timothy M. Jones, of Jefferson City, was recently named the Missouri Air National Guard's 131st Bomb Wing Missions Support Group commander at Whiteman Air Force Base. Colonel Jones was chosen to command the group of 300 Airmen strong, that encompasses Citizen-Airman from Whiteman AFB, south of Knob Noster, Mo, and Lambert Field in St. Louis. The group includes security forces, civil engineering, forces support, communications and logistic resources. Forces support squadron includes personnel flight and services such as morale, welfare and recreation, food services, and mortuary services. Logistics resource squadron includes supply, warehouse and vehicle repairers. In 2005, the 131st - formerly a St. Louis-based fighter wing - changed designations to a bomb wing and moved to Whiteman as an Air National Guard classic associate unit on the B-2s at Whiteman AFB. This extensive group is still in the process of moving to Whiteman with some personnel remaining at Lambert to support the 157th Air Operations Group and the 121st Air Control Squadron from the Air National Guard. Colonel Jones said, the biggest challenge for the group is to really convince and show the active duty that we bring a large amount of skill sets for civilian employment and numbers for stability. "We know our systems," said Colonel Jones. Colonel Jones added, his biggest challenge now as the commander is to figure out the precise mix to support Whiteman, Lambert Field and Cannon Range, located near Fort Leonard Wood. "It becomes a challenge because I've been here for 13 years and I see faces when I look at positions," Colonel Jones said. "I have to look at where that position is best suited and place them there. The most important part is to take care of the people and take care of the mission at the same time." Colonel Jones is an extreme hiker and enjoys challenges. "There is a challenge of being primarily responsible for the group, instead of second," Colonel Jones said about being the group commander. "I have a hard time walking away from this type of challenge." Other challenges he has tried just to see if he could do it is to speak other languages. He has taken Arabic, which is read left to right, Greek and German. He is currently working toward earning his doctorate in New Testament studies. His wife, Lt. Col. Nancy Jones, is very much the same way and also enjoys a challenge. She enlisted as a sheet metal specialist just after they opened the profession up to women. She later moved into human resources and is now the Missouri Air National Guard's state director of human resources at Ike Skelton Training Site in Jefferson City. When Jones began his military career, he enlisted in the active duty and spent time in Germany with the 10th Special Forces Group. He then received his commissioning into the missile program, before taking a communications assignment for NATO. After that, he decided to go into the Air National Guard. In his free time, his wife and him enjoy doing wood working and making furniture together. They are both supported in their military life by their six children.