Jackson Smith - USMC 2008-15

After growing up in Washington DC, Jackson moved to New Orleans in 2003 and has called the city his home ever since. A graduate of Tulane University, Jackson was commissioned into the U.S. Marine Corps in 2008. He served on active duty for the next eight years as an infantry officer, completing two deployments to Afghanistan in 2010 and 2011 followed by additional deployments around the world. In 2011 he was recognized as the Second Marine Division’s Platoon Commander of the Year.

In 2015, fed up with missing every Mardi Gras and Saints season, Jackson returned home to New Orleans to attend Tulane Law School on the GI Bill. Although Jackson’s reintegration to civilian life seemed to be going well, he was missing a sense or purpose. He eventually found a new mission as the Executive Director of Bastion, a non-profit based in New Orleans whose mission is to provide a supportive living environment for injured veterans and families within our intentionally designed neighborhood by augmenting their care with neighbors, volunteers and clinical specialists for a holistic approach to community integration.

For more information on Bastion please visit their website at joinbastion.org