Jordan Bone, a native of Mesa, serves aboard USS Jason Dunham

Petty Officer 3rd Class Jordan Bone, a native of Mesa, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to USS Jason Dunham, a Navy destroyer operating out of Mayport, Florida.

Bone graduated from Red Mountain High School in 2020.

“Growing up, I learned the only person who can stop me from accomplishing something is myself,” Bone said. “No matter who told me I couldn’t do something, I had to rely on myself to prove them wrong. I had friends and family tell me to stop trying to join the Navy, but I had to keep going. Since then, I have done things that I haven’t seen many of my peers accomplish.”

Bone joined the Navy one year ago.

“I joined the Navy for my family,” Bone said. “I had a very tedious joining process; there were many waivers I needed. I kept trying and trying, then one day I got a note from my recruiter saying I couldn’t join. Two weeks after that, I found out my girlfriend, who is now my wife, was pregnant. I was nervous because I had no way to provide for them. A week later, I got a random call from my recruiter, and they had found a way to get me in the Navy. It was a total life-saving grace.

“Once I found out I got in the Navy, I got married a month before boot camp. I think everything happens for a reason, and fate played a part. I joined the Navy to provide for my family, and at the same time I think my family is the reason I got in the Navy.”

Today, Bone serves as an operations specialist.

A Navy destroyer is a multi-mission ship that can operate independently or as part of a larger group of ships at sea. The ship is equipped with Tomahawk missiles, torpedoes, guns and a Phalanx close-in weapons system.

More than 300 sailors serve aboard USS Jason Dunham. Their jobs are highly specialized, requiring both dedication and skill. The jobs range from maintaining engines to handling weaponry, along with a multitude of other assignments that keep the ship mission-ready at all times, according to Navy officials.

With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber-optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the U.S. is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.

Bone has had many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.

“I am most proud of climbing from the rank of seaman recruit to petty officer third class in one year,” Bone said. “I couldn’t have done that without my leadership in boot camp and ‘A’ school. The commanding officer of the ‘A’ school wrote a letter of accelerated advancement for me to be promoted to petty officer third class.”

Bone serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.

“Serving in the Navy to me means challenging and improving myself in all aspects,” Bone said. “To serve your fellow man is very close to self-improvement. The more you serve your fellow man, the more you are in service to yourself and God. I have always been willing to go above and beyond; it was only through volunteering for completely optional things that I have been able to notice self-improvement.”

Bone is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.

“I would like to thank my wife,” Bone added. “Without knowing that my wife was at home giving great care to my daughter, I wouldn’t be as comfortable or stable enough to do the things that I have done. She has helped make our house a home, and has supported me in all I’ve done. She is one of the few people who told me not to give up trying to join the Navy.”

This year, the Navy is commemorating its contribution to the nation’s defense as the U.S. celebrates 250 years of independence. According to Navy officials, for more than 250 years, the Navy has sailed the globe defending freedom and protecting prosperity. For information, visit: https://www.navy.mil/navy-250.