Combat Airlifter of the Week: Maj. Austin Merkel

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jayden Ford
  • 19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

Name and Rank: Maj. Austin Merkel

Unit: Detachment 3 Air Mobility Command Air Operations Squadron

Official Duty title: Simulator certification instructor pilot

Hometown: Merrill, Wisconsin

Time in service: 10 years 

Time at Little Rock: 4 years

Goals: Read more and spend more time outdoor with his kids

Hobbies: Running, hiking, hunting, and fishing 

19th Airlift Wing priority portrayed and why?

Merkel ensures the highest quality of training devices worldwide for the C-130J Super Hercules and incorporates the next level of modernization to increase readiness for future conflicts,