Tyndall fighter pilot earns prestigious nomination

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Rachelle Blake
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Air Combat Command nominated one of Tyndall's pilots for the 2013 Anthony C. Shine Award.

Maj. Jon Snyder, 43rd Fighter Squadron assistant director of operations and F-22 Raptor instructor pilot, is one of the three Airmen who will go on to compete at the Combined Air Force level.

The Anthony C. Shine Award is given each year to a fighter pilot for proficiency and professionalism in flying a fighter aircraft.

"I am very surprised and honored to receive the nomination," said Snyder, a New Oxford, Pa., native. "I feel blessed and privileged to get to work with some of the best fighter pilots in the Air Force and owe much of my achievements to their amazing instruction and mentorship. The rest comes from the unwavering support of my wife, Jennifer, and three beautiful daughters."

But, it was not just his large support team that earned him the nomination.

"While part of the year was spent working 12-hour days flying with and instructing new F-22 pilots and the other half deployed to Southwest Asia supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, I was just doing my job to the best of my ability, nothing more," said Snyder. "I was trying to live up to the high standards set by all the previous fighter pilots before me."