Jason Gaudette

Hometown: Rosamond, CA
Branch of Service: Army
Rank: Sergeant First Class
Awards: Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Joint Service Commendations Medal; Army Commendation Medal 4 OLC, Army Achievement Medal 4 OLC, Presidential Campaign Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award 3 OLC, Army Good Conduct Medal with 7 Knots, National Def Service medal with bronze star, Kosovo Campaign Medal with bronze star, Iraqi campaign medal with 2 campaign stars, Global war on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global war on Terrorism Service Medal, Non Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with Numeral 3, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon with Numeral 7, ATO medal, Combat Infantryman's Badge, Expert Infantryman’s Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Italian, German and Belgium parachutist Badge.
Memberships: Military Order of the Purple Heart
Theater: Operation Iraqi Freedom

Jason's love for the outdoors started at a young age growing up in California in the Mojave Desert hunting dove, quail, rabbit and fishing for rainbow and brown trout. It wasn’t until he joined the Army that he got to experience other parts of the great outdoors. He has experienced a myriad of different hunting and fishing opportunities from hunting whitetail deer and wild hogs in the southern United States, to hunting moose, caribou, black bear and catching giant halibut and salmon in Alaska. His adventures are not over, and he is always looking for new things to learn and help others learn along the way.

His 20-year Army career took him to many different locations around the world including, Fort Drum, New York; Vicenza, Italy; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Friedberg, Germany; Fort Benning, Georgia; Stuttgart, Germany and Finally JBER, Alaska where he retired in August 2014. He deployed with 1-36 Infantry, in May 2003 to Baghdad, Iraq as a squad leader and later a platoon sergeant. After 12 months in country his unit was extended another 3 months and sent to Karbala. On 14 May 2004 he was wounded by 60mm mortar rounds along with over 10 other Soldiers in his platoon that day.

After retirement he worked as the Deputy Chief of Training for the Non-Commissioned Officer Academy at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska. It was there that he heard about WWIA, and what they stood for and represented. Jason's first trip with the WWIA was walleye fishing on Lake Erie in Ashtabula, Ohio. Attending this and experiencing the camaraderie that it brought by talking and getting to know his fellow wounded veterans, made him realize that he needed to be more involved in giving back.

Jason currently lives with his wife Julie in Moncks Corner, South Carolina where they all enjoy getting out and fishing and hunting as often as possible. Jason works as an Administrative Specialist, for the Naval Information Warfare Center.