Jon Jelenko

Name: Jon Jelenko
City/State: San Mateo, CA
Branch of Service: Army
Dates of Service: 2Feb2004 – 2Feb2010
Last Rank Held: E5
Military Occupation: Civil Affairs – 38B
Current Occupation: Enterprise Software Sales
X: NA
Instagram: NA
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jon.jelenko

Jon outside of the military:

After the military I found my way into the legal technology field, which I surprisingly fell in love with. The cross section of the deeply important nature of legal work and the “Let’s make this happen” approach of the software industry called to the same part of me that drew me to the military.

Outside of work, I’m a huge aviation geek and love spending time in my home flight simulator. I also love to cook and travel, being immersed in different cultures and languages (and of course food) have been some of the most important and growth inspiring experiences of my life.

Jon on joining the IAVA Cavalry:

I’m deeply passionate about supporting our veteran community. We need the support and commitment of those who never served in uniform, but I think in order for that support to be effective it has to be guided by those who have the lived experience and have shared in the struggle.

How the military experience affected Jon’s personal growth:

My experience in the military was formative in more ways than I can count, but chiefly among them is the sense of duty and knowledge of my ability to persevere that it instilled in me.

I’ve taken those values that I internalized during my time in military and applied them to both my professional and personal life, often to great benefit. Doing the right thing when nobody is watching, keeping faith with those who have put their trust in me, and knowing that I have the strength to push through times of difficulty have been cornerstones of how I approach life and relationships, and for that I am immensely grateful.

IAVA’s policy priorities that are the most pressing:

Democracy: The defense of our democracy is a sacred part of our service to the nation, and I think underpins why a lot of the women and men I served with enlisted in the first place. Our democratic system only remains viable as long as there are people ready to defend and maintain it.

Alternative therapies:
Alternative therapies can be extremely effective, and while they aren’t a panacea, we owe it to our veterans to leave no stone unturned in helping them lead healthy and happy lives after returning from combat. The current state of affairs is a confusing and problematic hodgepodge of conflicting laws and guidance which is dysfunctional and difficult to navigate at best.

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

Alternative therapies:
Like many of our comrades, after two long combat tours in Operations Iraqi Freedom I returned home to a struggle with my mental health that the military didn’t prepare me for. I struggled with PTSD, which quickly translated into a struggle with alcohol abuse. I knew I had a problem, I knew I was using alcohol to help me overcome my internal struggle and thought it was either that or the fist full of pills I’d seen other veterans get when they sought help. It wasn’t until after my ETS that I was introduced to medical cannabis, and it was like flipping a light switch. I was able to stop self medicating with alcohol, which opened so many doors and knocked down so many barriers to getting myself mentally and physically healthy again. Every veteran should have the same options I did, but they currently don’t.