2022 STEM Hero Honorees

Captain Jaymason T. Shelton only began his tenure as an instructor at Keesler Air Force Base in June of 2020. He’s swiftly worked his way up the chain, from handling administrative and development duties for a handful of courses, to leading all facets of training within the Department of Defense’s sole Joint Weather Training Complex. He commands a team of 65 joint service and civilian faculty and oversees the education of more than 1,200 technical training students annually. He is also responsible for the development and sustainment of 14 weather skills courses.

Throughout his time at Keesler Air Force Base, Captain Shelton has directed more than 416,000 training hours, and has driven the overhaul of two foundational, entry-level courses for both the enlisted and officer corps. In addition to providing daily professional development and mentoring to joint service and international trainees, his flight develops and implements cutting-edge virtual reality technology that continues to transform learning both in-house and on-the-job.

Captain Shelton grew up in rural southwestern Ohio as the only Hispanic member in a school of 300 students. A first-generation college student, he enrolled at The Ohio State University in 2009, graduating with a degree in the atmospheric sciences while completing an advanced Spanish program in Argentina.  A recognized Spanish scholar of the Air Force’s Language Enabled Airman Program, Captain Shelton is on track to be one of the career field’s few Foreign Area Officers. Given his strong interpersonal skills and adeptness in judgment and decision-making, he’s expected to serve as a powerful asset to the military’s future international endeavors.