Ep 7: Generations of Service – Dedication To The Navy with Jermaine Wilson

On episode seven of Untold Valor, we’re joined by Commander Jermaine Wilson, a retired Navy Supply Corps Officer with more than 20 years of dedicated service.

For Commander Wilson, serving in the military is essentially a family tradition. In fact, his father and all three of his siblings are Navy veterans with more than 90 years of service between the five of them.

During our conversation, Commander Wilson shares some of the most impactful moments from his time in the Navy. He touches on the topics of respect, race, the importance of family support, and more. Tune in for some engaging and insightful stories from Commander Wilson’s family’s almost century of service on this episode of Untold Valor.

Episode Highlights:

• Serving in the military is essentially a family tradition for Jermaine. (1:00)
• Jermaine received great support early in his service during a traumatic event. (3:20)
• Jermaine’s family had a lot of varying experiences in the military. He reflects on these experiences across the different generations and what it was like to be a black officer when it was still a bit of a rarity. (10:55)

More About Jermaine Wilson:

Commander Wilson is a native of Franklinton, Louisiana. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Southern University and A & M College in December 1993.

Condensed Career Timeline…
– Obtained his commission into the US Navy Reserve through the Direct Commission Officer program in July 1999. Certified as a Supply Corps Officer in Feb 2002.
– 2006: Mobilized and served as the Assistant Supply Officer for Camp Lemonier in Djibouti, Africa.
– 2010: Became Commanding Officer for NSA Bahrain DET D in Little Rock, AR.
– Mobilized to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and served as Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay Transportation Officer.
– Administration Officer for U.S. Naval Forces Japan Headquarter Reserve Unit from Dec 2017 to June 2020.

CDR Wilson has been awarded two Meritorious Service Medals, one Joint Service Commendation Medal, four Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals and one Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

There is a rich Navy tradition in CDR Wilson’s immediate family. His father and all three of his siblings are Navy veterans who served for a total of 70 years. Upon CDR Wilson’s retirement on July 1, 2020, he added another 21 years of dedicated Navy service to his family history for a total of over 90 years.

CDR Wilson and his wife, Tonia Morrow Wilson, have been married for 26 years and are the proud parents of their 11-year-old son, Jakob. They reside in Fulshear, TX which is approximately 35 miles west of Houston, TX.

Resources:

Voice & Vision: https://voiceandvisioninc.org/

CompeerCORPS: https://voiceandvisioninc.org/compeercorps/

Information on how to apply for VA Healthcare Benefits from anywhere in the USA: https://www.va.gov/health-care/how-to-apply/ or call 877-222-8387 (Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-8 p.m. EST)

To apply for veteran’s benefits and find resources in Pennsylvania veterans need to contact their County Office of Veterans Affairs as listed in this document: https://www.dmva.pa.gov/veteransaffairs/Documents/Outreach-and-Reintegration/countyprint.pdf

To view more about PA’s resources for veterans: https://www.pa.gov/guides/veterans/

Financial support for Untold Valor is provided by a Veterans' Trust Fund grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.