Senior Master Sergeant Jeremiah Daniel Bybee: Age 43

Senior Master Sergeant Jeremiah Daniel Bybee served 23 years in the U.S. Air Force. His Air Force Service Code included: (1) Aircraft Armament Systems Craftsman and (2) First Sergeant in which he supplied his commander with a mission ready force. He received the following medals, badges, citations, and campaign ribbons: Meritorious Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Air and Space Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Air and Space Achievement Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Achievement Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Unit Award one Oak Leaf Cluster, Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Force Good Conduct Medal with six Oak Leaf Clusters, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal with one Service Star, Humanitarian Service Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with one “N” Device and one Oak Leaf Cluster, Air and Space Overseas Service Ribbon Short, Air and Space Overseas Ribbon Long with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Air and Space Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border, Air and Space Longevity Service Award with four Oak Leaf Clusters, USAF NCO PME Graduate Ribbon with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Small Arms Marksmanship Ribbon with one Service Star, Air and Space Training Ribbon, Air Force Basic Training Ribbon and NATO ISAF Medal.

SMSgt Bybee was born October 11, 1981 to his parents, Eric and Carolyn Bybee, in Great Falls, Montana. Both of his parents served in the Air Force with his father serving 10 years on active duty and his mother serving three years on active duty and four years on Reserve duty. He is the third generation of his family who has served in the U.S. Air Force. Because of his parents’ service in the Air Force, the family often moved to various assignments during his childhood, and even after his family returned to civilian life, his family moved often. Finally, the family settled in Jonesboro, GA, where he reached the rank of Life Scout in Boy Scouts and participated in drama, swimming and literary competitions at Mount Zion High School graduating in 2000.

SMSgt Bybee’s military service began with his volunteering to serve in the U.S. Air Force beginning October 10, 2000. He completed six weeks of Basic Training at Lackland Air Force Base, TX, and he was assigned to work in Aircraft Maintenance. He was sent to Sheppard AFB, TX, for training in maintenance of aircraft weapons systems for 16 weeks. After completion of training, he was given a permanent assignment to the Weapons Section at the 79th Aircraft Maintenance Unit during April 2001-March 2011. He began this type of service at Shaw AFB, South Carolina. While there, he experienced six deployments. During February 2002 to May 2002, he served as a Weapons Load Crew Member with the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia. During August 2004 to March 2005, he served as a Force Protection Specialist with the 469th Air Expeditionary Wing, at Alt AL Salem, Kuwait. During November 2006 to January 2007, he served as the Maintenance Debrief Element Chief with the 379th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, at Al Dahlfra, United Arab Emirates. During November 2007 to April 2008, he served as the Weapons Load Crew Team Chief with the 379th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, and during August 2009 to March 2010, he served with the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.

SMSgt Bybee then had three permanent changes of assignment, followed by one deployment and one more permanent change of assignment before retirement. During March 2011 to March 2013, he served as weapons expediter in aircraft maintenance at Kusan Air Base, Korea. During March 2012 to March 2015, he served as Load Monitor Element Noncommissioned Officer in Charge as nuclear surety specialist with the 703d Munitions Support Squadron at Volkel Air Base, the Netherlands. During March 2015 to February 2019, he served a permanent assignment as the Weapons Section Chief 31st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron in Aviano Air Base, Italy. During August 2016 to February 2017, he deployed to Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, Africa as the Senior Enlisted Leader, 510th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron. He then served with the 100th Air Refueling Wing, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom during February 2019 to October 2019 serving as First Sergeant. He then served as a member of the 488th Intel Support Squadron out of Offutt Air Force Base, NE, during October 2019 to May 2020 as a First Sergeant located in England. Next, he served at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom during May 2020 to July 2021 serving as First Sergeant, and his last assignment was at Maxwell Air Force Base, AL, as First Sergeant Academy Instructor during July 2021 to Oct 1 2023. SMSgt Bybee retired from military service October 1, 2023.

SMSgt Bybee used the Air Force Tuition Assistance Program and received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Military History from the American Military University of West Virginia in 2017. He is currently enrolled in the Veterans Readiness and Employment Program, a program for disabled veterans to go to school to be trained for a job to get back into the work force. Since 2023, he has been the Chief Operations Officer for GameDay for Heroes, an organization that hosts events for veterans such as the Mike McKeen Veterans Memorial Golf Tournament and Birmingham Bowl Veterans Experience. The goal of GameDay for Heroes is to “make veterans better civilians.” He is a member of the American Legion Post 2019. He is also a volunteer with Troop Eight of the Boy Scouts of America serving as Committee Chair. SMSgt Bybee and his wife, Christi, have been married 23 years, and they have three sons.

SMSgt Bybee’s conclusions about what serving in the U.S. Air Force has meant to him are: “Military service was not just a job or a career; it was an amazing opportunity to better myself, my family, and everyone around me all while being able to provide service to my country as a way to say 'thank you' to everyone who came before me." He is not worried about how people will remember him, but he is concerned about people with whom he has interacted. He believes that he should leave things better than he has found them. He doesn’t want people to remember him for him, but he wants people to remember the people that he has touched.