BUCKLEY SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. – Few people have the honor of closing a chapter in their career by spending a morning flying a fighter jet over the state they serve in, as well as the state they were born in. Following in the footsteps of his father who flew the same aircraft decades prior, U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Jeremiah “Weed” Tucker, director of Air Staff for the Colorado Air National Guard, went out in style after relinquishing command of the 140th Wing in November 2024.
Tucker has been in the cockpit of the F-16 since pilot school in April 2001 and celebrated his fini flight Feb. 13, 2025. The fini flight is an Air Force tradition marking pilots' departure from a unit, or the last time they fly an aircraft. “It was a great day, but it was a sad day also,” Tucker said. “I got to see the state of New Mexico, where I was born and where my parents live. I got to see the state of Colorado and I flew with my best bro, [U.S. Air Force Col.] Chris “Kojack” Melka, whom I've flown the jet with now for two decades.”
Having flown over every continent except Antarctica, Tucker said: “Flying around the Rockies, there’s nothing else like it in the world. That was exactly the way that I wanted to go out, and frankly, not everyone gets an opportunity to do it on their terms.”
Tucker shared the bittersweet feelings he had during his flight knowing this would be his final time in the cockpit. “You can’t live in the past, which I try not to do, but I will remember every bit of it fondly, and it was exactly the way I wanted to go through it,” he said. “But I'd be lying to you if I told you that I will miss every bit of that.”
Of his many combat flights, he said his most significant was flying night one during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 as a first lieutenant.
“I will miss being the wing commander more than I will miss flying the fighter,” Tucker said. “The accomplishments made by that many folks, in my opinion, far outweigh anything I ever did in the jet by building the relationships with the people of this organization to make us one of the finest organizations I have ever been a part of.”
As a leader, Tucker said that he’s enjoyed fostering the 140th team over the course of 20 months, in what “felt like a week” to him. “Part of one of the greatest feelings I have is watching the accomplishments of folks within the organization, and I got to see that tenfold so many times, watching people become the best versions of themselves, succeed in certain things, accomplish things that they didn't think they could, and go out of their way to help our nation, our community, in a way that was above and beyond the call of duty,” he said. “That was the reason why I put the uniform on every day. To be here, to be a caretaker and a leader of the finest 1,650 people I've ever been associated with.”
The fini flight marks the end of one chapter in Tucker’s career. Recently promoted to brigadier general in March, Tucker was selected to serve as the deputy director of Joint Force Development (J-7) at Space Command and will relocate to Peterson Space Force Base. J7 oversees the six functions of joint force development including: doctrine; education; concept development and experimentation; training; exercises; and lessons learned. “The fact that I’ll stay in the home state that I grew up in – I'm lucky,” Tucker said.
“I've always fallen under the 140th Wing in one capacity or another,” Tucker said. “This will be the time that I'm still a COANG member, part of the Colorado National Guard. I just won't fall under the 140th Wing structure anymore.”
Stepping into his new role outside of the 140th Wing, Tucker’s pride for his service to the COANG endures. “One of the proudest things I've ever done is serve as a Colorado Guardsman,” he said. “Even with this next assignment, I'm still a Guardsman.”