Florida Air National Guard Officer Earns National Recognition, Advances to Air Force-Level Sijan Award Competition

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Capt. Jared K. Cannon began his Air Force career in 2007 as an airman basic. Nearly two decades later, the former enlisted Airman is representing the National Guard in one of the Air Force’s premier leadership award competitions.

Cannon, director of operations for the 125th Maintenance Squadron, Florida Air National Guard, was selected as the 2026 Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award winner at the National Guard level and will advance to compete for the Air Force-level award.

The Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award recognizes officers and enlisted Airmen who demonstrate outstanding leadership in the performance of their duties and conduct of their lives. Established in 1981, the award honors Capt. Lance P. Sijan, an Air Force Academy graduate and fighter pilot who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions after being shot down over Vietnam and taken prisoner of war.

As director of operations, Cannon leads 198 Airmen and oversees maintenance, support equipment, and munitions for 20 F-35A Lightning II aircraft, directly supporting the squadron’s combat readiness and flying mission.

In his current role, Cannon helped lead 450 Airmen through 14,000 maintenance actions while managing a $2 billion F-35 fleet. Those efforts generated 1,500 sorties and 2,700 flight hours in support of the wing’s full operational capability plan.

His selection places him among Sijan Award recipients from across the Air Force competing for the service-level honor.

Before assuming his current position, Cannon served at Joint Force Headquarters in St. Augustine, Florida, first as executive officer to the assistant adjutant general for air and later as the Florida Air National Guard recruiting and retention officer in charge. In that role, he led a 16-person team that used data analysis to increase end strength by 3% in six months, helping five geographically separated units meet state and federal mission requirements.

“Capt. Cannon represents the kind of leader we strive to develop across the Florida Air National Guard — one who puts Airmen first, leads with humility and never loses sight of the mission,” said Brig. Gen. Richard L. Coffey, assistant adjutant general and commander of the Florida Air National Guard.

“His selection for this award speaks to his outstanding leadership and the incredible impact he continues to have on the Airmen around him,” Coffey said. “We are incredibly proud to see him represent Florida at the Air Force level.”

Cannon’s nearly 20-year career has spanned both enlisted and commissioned service, giving him a valuable perspective on leadership. As a prior-enlisted officer, he understands the challenges Airmen face and has drawn on that experience to become the kind of leader he once needed—an approach that has strengthened his credibility amongst those he leads.

After enlisting in 2007, he served as a C-17A Globemaster III avionics technician and unit scheduler and deployed in support of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. After transferring to the Florida Air National Guard’s 125th Fighter Wing in 2012, Cannon cross-trained as an F-15C avionics intermediate technician and deployed to Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, in support of theater security operations.

Cannon earned his commission as an aircraft maintenance officer in 2019. He later served as an aircraft maintenance unit officer in charge, leading generation operations and deploying in support of Operation Noble Eagle. After his assignment at Joint Force Headquarters, he returned to the 125th Maintenance Squadron in 2025 to assume his current role.

“The more I learn about leadership, the more I realize there is rarely a simple, cookie-cutter solution for the challenges we face,” Cannon said. “Sometimes you find yourself in positions where you have to make difficult calls that may not be popular, but are necessary to do what is genuinely right for the mission and our Airmen.”

Cannon said those experiences taught him the value of humility and the importance of seeking counsel from others. He credits mentors throughout his career — from his first supervisor to officers, senior enlisted leaders and peers — with shaping his approach to leadership.

Cannon is married with four children and is active in his community through his church’s men’s ministry and local sports organizations, where he coaches recreational tackle football, flag football and baseball.

“A huge part of the sacrifice in military service is shared by our families,” Cannon said. “They are the foundation that allows us to focus and meet the mission.”

As Cannon prepares to compete at the Air Force level, he said his focus remains on the people who helped shape his career and the Airmen he now has the responsibility to develop.

“None of our successes are truly our own,” Cannon said. “They are the compilation of every person who took the time to correct, encourage, and invest in us along the way.”

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