- ROTC Training Instructor
Technical Sergeant Hayden Z. Hellems serves as an AFROTC Training Instructor with the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at Detachment 425, Mississippi State University. He is responsible for the training and assessment of more than 90 cadets and manages all administrative records related to cadet operations.
Sergeant Hellems entered the Air Force in June 2012 and graduated from Electrical Power Production Technical Training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, in November 2012. He spent his first seven years of service assigned to Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. While there, he deployed three times to Qatar, Niger, and Jordan in support of Operations INHERENT RESOLVE and JUNIPER SHIELD.
Following Altus, Sergeant Hellems was assigned to Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, where he served as Electrical Power Production Supervisor and Command Support Staff Section Chief. In this role, he oversaw the section’s preventive maintenance program and managed the squadron’s security and self-assessment programs for 401 personnel across 14 sections. Additionally, while at Whiteman, Sergeant Hellems deployed a fourth time to Kuwait, where he served as the Noncommissioned Officer in Charge of the Electrical Power Production Section. There, he led 16 Airmen in the successful completion of a $250,000 runway project
1. 2017 Airman Leadership School, Altus AFB, OK
2. 2020 Associates of Applied Science, Mechanical Technology, Community College of the Air Force
3. 2021 Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, Sheppard AFB, TX
ASSIGNMENTS
- July 2012 - Nov 2014, 366th Training Squadron, Sheppard AFB, TX
- Nov 2012 - May 2019, 97th Civil Engineer Squadron, Altus AFB, OK
- May 2019 – Jan 2024, 509th Civil Engineer Squadron, Whiteman AFB, MO
- Jan 2024-Present AFROTC Training Instructor, Detachment 425, Mississippi State University
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
- Air and Space Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
- Air and Space Achievement Medal two Oak Leaf Clusters
- Joint Meritorious Unit Award
- Meritorious Unit Award
- Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with two Oak Leaf Clusters Humanitarian Service Medal
- Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Airman Basic June 12, 2012
Airmen First Class August 10, 2012
Senior Airmen December 10, 2014
Staff Sergeant November 1, 2017
Technical Sergeant Mar 1, 2021 (Current as of March 2024)