Florida Army Iraq Veteran Served Three Decades

South Shore Army veteran served more than three decades 
Tampa Bay Online
Kenneth Hall
Special Correspondent
February 11, 2015

After a year in Iraq, spending time in armored Humvees, M-1 Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles in Baghdad – where the temperature would reach more than 110 degrees in the summer – Jones finds Tampa’s weather almost mild.

APOLLO BEACH – Michael Jones says the most important life lesson he learned during his time in the U.S. Army is the value of teamwork.

“Everything good that gets done in the military is the result of a team effort,” he said.

“From national security policy all the way down to what squads do, you have to have great teamwork. I’m retired from the military and working in the civilian sector and it’s the same thing. There are very few things that don’t get done without great teamwork.”

Jones saw the results of teamwork throughout his time in the service, including a year as deputy commander of the 1st Cavalry Division in Iraq in 2004 and 2005 and most recently as chief of staff at CENTCOM at MacDill Air Force Base.

It was always a team effort. “My whole military career was rewarding, but I would say that my year in Iraq was the most rewarding,” he said. “The 1st Cavalry Division is a really special army unit. There was not a day that went by that I was not honored to serve with the soldiers there who were doing amazing things every day.”

Jones was transferred to MacDill Air Force Base in 2008. It quickly became his favorite duty station. read more here