---
title: "Air Force identifies F-16 pilot killed in Michigan crash"
description: "Capt. Durwood “Hawk” Jones, 37, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was a decorated airman with three deployments under his belt."
date: "2020-12-11"
modified: "2020-12-11"
authors:
  - name: "David Roza"
    job_title: "YouTube Writer/Editor"
    link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/david-roza/"
url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/captain-durwood-jones-air-national-guard-death/"
categories:
  - "Air Force"
  - "Aircraft"
  - "Around the World"
  - "Fighter Aircraft"
  - "Military Branches"
  - "National Guard"
  - "News"
  - "Tech & Tactics"
  - "United States"
tags:
  - "death"
  - "Northern Command"
---

# Air Force identifies F-16 pilot killed in Michigan crash

![](<https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/11/imgonline-com-ua-FrameBlurred-uOGPyqSM7b2-scaled.jpg>)

The Air Force's 115h Fighter Wing identified an F-16 pilot who died Tuesday during a crash in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as Capt. Durwood “Hawk” Jones, 37, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, a decorated airman with three deployments under his belt.

“Capt. Jones has been awarded two Air Medals with combat “C” devices, which are awarded to individuals who have been personally exposed to hostile action or under significant risk of hostile action,” wrote the Wisconsin-based 115th Fighter Wing in a Facebook post on Friday.

Jones joined the Air National Guard in 2011 and graduated from F-16 basic qualification training in 2015. the wing said. He deployed as part of a United States Pacific Command Theater Support Package to Japan in 2015 and to Korea in 2017. He deployed again in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel to Afghanistan in 2019.

Jones’ F-16 went down around [8:00 p.m. on Tuesday](<https://taskandpurpose.com/news/wisconsin-air-national-guard-crash-pilot-missing/>) in Hiawatha National Forest. The wing then coordinated a search effort with local first responders, the U.S. Coast Guard and other government agencies overnight. He was [declared dead](<https://taskandpurpose.com/news/air-force-pilot-who-crashed-in-michigan-declared-dead/>) Thursday night. The Wing’s memorial Facebook post indicates that he leaves behind a wife and two young children.

“Today is a day for mourning, the 115th Fighter Wing and the entire Wisconsin National Guard stands with the pilot’s family as we grieve the loss of a great Airman, and patriot,” wing commander Col. Bart Van Roo said in a separate post on Thursday. “We are an extremely close knit group at the fighter wing, the loss of one of our own brings immeasurable sadness to every member of our organization.”

## Author
David Roza writes scripts about military news for the Task & Purpose YouTube channel, and he also writes articles about military pay, benefits, health care, child care, culture, and other personnel topics on a freelance basis.

Roza previously covered the Air Force and Space Force for Task & Purpose from 2019 to 2023 and for Air & Space Forces Magazine from 2023 to 2025. In the course of that reporting, he has set off a ‘Hollywood explosion’ with Air Force bomb techs, turned the (unarmed) keys of a nuclear missile bunker, hovered over the Nevada desert on an Air Force rescue helicopter, and got the best sleep of his life on the floor of a C-17 over the central Pacific.

Share tips and story ideas with David at [david.roza@teamrecurrent.io](<mailto:david.roza@teamrecurrent.io>)