DRG Employee of the Quarter: Justin Williams -Flying Instructor Weapons Systems Officer

Justin?"Pegasus" Williams

Flying Instructor Weapons Systems Officer (IWSO)

F-15QA, Qatar

Justin?“Pegasus” Williams believes everyone has something to bring to the table through their experiences and perspectives.

Williams, who grew up in central Texas, served in the Navy for more than 22 years before retiring as a lieutenant commander. His military service included graduating from TOPGUN school and participating in nine Trident Ballistic Missile Submarine Patrols, Airborne Combat Operations during Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Inherent Resolve.

“The most difficult aspect of the military was giving everything I had to make sure I was ready to fight and win if called upon to do so. I was also in charge of making sure those I instructed were as well,” Williams said. “This commitment to excellence and standards for years would lead to long days, long debriefs, and lots of training. That time spent away from my daughter, two sons and my wife I’ll never get back, but it has always been a part of the backbone that makes America’s fighting force the best in the world.”

Williams has been an instructor for DRG since April 2022 on the F-15 QA program in Qatar, in which DRG serves as a subcontractor to Boeing. He also serves as a subject matter expert (SME) for the AGM-84 Harpoon, phase manager and SME for Close Air Support (CAS) Training, and class advisor and mentor to the first Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) Initial Qualification Training (IQT-1) class of pilots and WSOs.

“Pegasus is not only a great instructor, he is also a profound leader and excellent team builder,” said Broc Hansing, senior corporate program manager, supporting the F-15QA program. “He sets the example of who DRG is and what we stand for.”

Daniel “Red” Tippett, Boeing’s F-15QA aircrew training manager and chief instructor, praised Williams’ ability to learn quickly as well as his proficiency level.

“Pegasus came to DRG and the F-15QA program with F/A-18 background.?Justin?quickly came up to speed and earned an Exceptionally Qualified (EQ) rating on this Initial Instructor Mission check ride (on the F-15 platform). According to Boeing, this is the first they have ever seen for the program,” Tippett said. “He then went on to establish the bar executing 42 F-15QA training sorties for the QEAF which, again, is top performance.”

Williams has also played an essential role for the program in a non-flying capacity. For example, he is the program lead as its first-ever Close Air Support (CAS) phase manager.?

“His prior experience made him the ideal fit to shape how we do CAS in the F-15QA. He single-handedly developed 5-star training materials and scenarios providing exceptional quality of instruction despite limited Qatar airspace and an absence of JTAC (Joint Terminal Attack Control) hardware, all while maintaining training standards at a weapons school-level.”

Williams and his wife, Amie, live in Qatar along with their three children: Madison, 9; Wyatt, 7; and Colt, 4.

He said, “I’m most proud of getting to be a father that hopefully my kids look up to!”

Williams stays busy in his spare time by working out, spending time with his children, and going on date nights with Amie.