Jason Herriges

Name: Jason Herriges
City/State: Panama City, FL
Branch of Service: Air Force
Years of Service: 23.5
Last Rank Held: E8
Military Occupation: Security Forces
Current Occupation: Freelance
X: TBD
Instagram: TBD
Facebook: TBD

Jason outside of the military:

I enjoy exploring the United States, reading, learning how to play the bass and drums, engaging conversations, and learning what I want to be when I grow up.

Jason on joining the IAVA Cavalry:

Joining IAVA’s Cavalry offers me personal and professional growth through leadership opportunities, community engagement, and policy advocacy. I bring a passion for leading and collaborating with other veteran advocates, engaging with policymakers, enhancing my leadership skills, representing IAVA, and expanding my professional network. Personally, the connection with veterans and lawmakers satisfies my desire to lead and serve the veteran community and be involved in shaping the future veteran space. Professionally, the connection will enable me to contribute my education and experience to a larger, post-military community.

How the military experience affected Jason’s personal growth:

My experience in the military shaped me into a decisive, empathetic, resilient leader and follower. I learned how to take complex and ambiguous situations and rapidly translate that information into action, while balancing the person on the other end of that action. I learned discipline, accountability, selfless service and that people from throughout this country are amazing.

IAVA’s policy priorities that are the most pressing:

I’m passionate about America’s democracy and want to ensure our elections are free, fair and inclusive. My political science education and advocacy for democracy were foundations of my career. I enlisted to serve my country and the rights and freedoms enshrined in our constitution. Representatives in congress need to be responsive to their constituents and take their oath to serve seriously.

IAVA’s policy priorities with the strongest personal connection for Jason:

Protecting our Democracy. I’ve observed both in uniform and now in civilian life, a democratic framework increasingly under internal strain—polarization, disinformation, civic disengagement, and eroding trust in institutions. If I fail to act—or if we fail to model leadership, civic responsibility, and commitment to truth—we risk losing from within what I so fiercely defended in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
This isn’t about politics. It’s about principle. Democracy is not self-sustaining.