Jeromy Grant, U.S. Army, 2004-15
Jeromy Grant enlisted just after 9/11, 2001. “You really don’t know a lot about yourself… challenging yourself… growing up in a Tlingit household I wanted to be battle tested. We happened to be in a time of war, a time when I could do that. I had a lot to learn about myself.”
He remembers in basic training that it hurt. “I have a cousin with muscular dystrophy… when we were about 2 or 3 it took hold of him. He was put in a wheelchair the rest of his life.” During boot camp “It was so painful, every day, start the day- painful… you’ve got to find that reason to keep going. For me, my pain was temporary- eventually, it will stop. And his (cousin’s) pain was forever… after I realized that it was pretty easy.”
While serving in Afghanistan Mr. Grant got to see historical places most people will never see. “I did get to see and set foot in some of Alexander the Great’s castles. They still use them. ”
Mr. Grant was a Chinook helicopter mechanic. Later, he sat in front of a board who would ask him intimidating questions to see if he could become a crew chief. “Whether you know the answers or not is not the point. It’s to put you under pressure and see what you do.” He was selected. “A lot of fun, a lot of scary moments. A lot of good and terrible memories.” Mr. Grant was shot down multiple times.
Speaking of his service, Mr. Grant said “On the positives, it gave me a lot of life experience. It showed me not only what I’m capable of, but that I really don’t have limits. You set limits for yourself. Once you remove those limits you develop yourself to kind of walk around those things… but you pay for every bit of it… and then some. I have no regrets.”