Keith "AJ" Jackson

Executive Director: The Follow-On Mission

AJ grew up in the Mid-west, the oldest child of a lower middle-class family. His love of motorcycles and motocross racing were encouraged and supported by his parents as much as they could financial afford.

He graduated high school in 1987, and enlisted into the Air Force through the Delayed Entry program in 1988. His year between the two was used to attain his private pilots license, which aided in securing a job as a B52-H Defensive Aerial Gunner (Tail Gunner).

This period of Military Service was cut short due to the implementation of the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Balanced Budget Act, a strength reduction piece of legislature. While he was released to the Air Force Ready Reserves, he was done so having to maintain Personnel Reliability Program Standards. This involved completing an annual SF86 survey. He discovered not completing it in a timely manner resulted in the Air Force Office of Special Investigation shadowing him for extended periods.

AJ returned to service a few years after receiving his discharge from the Air Force. This was done via the Missouri Army National Guard, and sold to his wife, Rebecca "as a means to pay for school". AJ was attending night school full time at considerable expense.

While serving as a National Guard Combat Engineer, and competing on the State Marksmanship Team as a Scout Sniper, AJ became the acquaintance of several National Guard Special Forces Soldiers. At every encounter they encouraged him to at least, "Try Out" for Special Forces. AJ eventually secured a spot the Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group "Green Platoon" and was granted a slot to Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS).

After completing the "Q-Course" (Special Forces Qualification Course) AJ began the tedious process of "Active Duty Accession". This involved resigning from the Guard, and finding a recruiter willing to do the paperwork to bring a Prior-Service member back into Active Duty. Once MEPS processing was complete, AJ attended the JFK Special Warfare Center and School accession program and was successfully granted entry into Active Duty Special Forces. His was assigned to Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg.

It is highly rumored that AJ purposely misled the S1 Personnel staffs at both 3rd Group, and Second Battalion in order to secure a position in Charlie Company. He first assignment was as the Junior Engineer Sergeant on ODA 364, "The Wedding Crashers". 364 was the first Detachment to be internationally accused of murdering a "Wedding Party" after the successful elimination of a Taliban training site and combat outpost. (Permission to share the "Misleading" element was granted by the offended Command Sergeant Major).

Throughout his career AJ used motorcycle racing as his outlet from the psychological damage of combat. As the injuries piled up, this outlet became no longer viable, and he turned to racing bicycles. AJ was a member of both the SOCOM and DOD Cycling Teams, competing in both the Warrior Games (United States) and the Invictus Games (International) from 2017-2018.

Another round of surgeries began after his last appearance in the Invictus Games, these stripping him of his ability to compete athletically, altogether. This triggered his slide into the dark spiral of suicide.

Seemingly unable to stop the slide himself, his wife, Rebecca entered him into an automotive endurance road race with a veteran aligned team. The event was held at The Circuit of Americas in Austin, commonly called "COTA". The immediate improvement in his wellbeing was noted by everyone involved.

Wishing to share this experience and the therapeutic effects of adrenaline therapy with other individuals suffering the phycological damage of combat, AJ founded The Follow-On Mission a few months later.

AJ was medically retired from the Army in 2022, and now serves as the Executive Director of The Follow-On Mission.