Feature

Liberty Feature

SETTLING DOWN ON THE LIBERTY COAST Vice Admiral Mary M. Jackson, USN (Retired) by Joe Snowberger

Vice Admiral Mary M. Jackson recently retired after an amazing 30 year naval career. Graduating from the Naval Academy as a Surface Warfare Officer in 1989, she eventually commanded the guided missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) and was commander of both Naval Station Norfolk and Navy Region Southeast (CNRSE) in Jacksonville. Jackson’s last command was as the Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC), retiring in May 2020. At CNIC, she led the Navy’s worldwide enterprise of 71 installations and more than 53,000 personnel. Following her naval career, Vice Admiral Jackson and her family relocated to The Liberty Coast. Having gotten to know her during her time in Jacksonville, we were honored when she sat down with Liberty Life. LL: Welcome back! While here as CNRSE, you said you would return to Jacksonville, and we are glad you did. During your 30-year Navy career, you have visited, served or lived all across the country and globe; what brought you and your family back to The Liberty Coast? MJ: I can’t tell you how happy we are to be back in Jacksonville. We had always thought we would go back to Norfolk, Virginia when the time came because we had done so many tours there, but after having spent three years here in the Region job, we realized what a wonderful community and quality of life Jacksonville offers. Geography is very similar to Hampton Roads, and in addition, Jax has great weather, a Veteran friendly community, a growing city, the arts, and so many leaders in diverse sectors. Jax is our “base camp,” and we love how the airport is so traveler friendly. Of course, with COVID, we have not been traveling, but that has given us time to get reacquainted with friends, make new friends, and unpack boxes! Since your return, what have you done or where have you gone that you anticipated doing or visiting? Over the summer, we enjoyed being together as a family. I am very proud of my family, and they have supported me and given me strength during my career. I am committed to being more involved in school for our son who is still home, available to visit our daughter at college, and do more fun stuff with everyone. I like to swim and be on the water, and since I grew up in the Middle East, I love the hot weather. It is really nice and enriching to have the time to get more involved in things outside of my job. Jacksonville takes pride in being “America’s friendliest military and Veteran community” and has traditionally enjoyed a high demand for duty assignments by Sailors and naval officers. Does that high favorability still exist? I believe that this area, and specifically the Tri-base area, will remain in high demand for our Navy and for our Servicemembers. In fact, the detailers were here recently and commented on how so many people request to stay. I’m just as guilty because here I am—back in Jax! The partnerships that exist between the military, the city, the many Veterans Service Organizations, and the other industry sectors located here are key. I find that the synergy is at its best when there is a mutual respect for everyone’s contribution to our community. Not one way or the other, but that everyone brings value, dedication, and energy to the table. Here in Jax, you see that on a very personal level in neighborhoods, schools, employment, and community organizations, but it also is evident at a higher organizational and strategic level. A significant portion of your Navy career has been as an installation commander and leader of those commanders. For our readers who don’t know, what goes on inside the fences and beyond the base’s security gate? I am so proud of all of the Navy bases around the world, and I had a front row seat to the demands placed on these incredibly talented and diverse base teams. A base is like a small city—infrastructure, roadways, port and airfield operations, security, safety and emergency services, and support services like hotels, eateries, fitness, and childcare. The Base CO’s primary focus is to ensure that all the missions that are assigned to that base—whether ships or squadrons, or training commands or maintenance commands, to list a few—are able to carry out their mission. The Navy Installations portfolio is built on the three pillars of Fleet, Fighter, and Family. Sustainment and modernization of our shore infrastructure were a top priority for me while in DC, and we had to make very hard decisions about what we could invest in, given the limited resourcing. Again, the real work happens everyday on these bases where they are dedicated to take care of the commands assigned there, the Servicemembers and civilians, the families, and the surrounding community. Most recently, with COVID pandemic impacts on installations and readiness, what are some of the permanent changes you anticipate? The COVID pandemic has driven us all to refocus and in some cases reinvent how we do things—socially, in business, and in life. The pandemic will not

just end; the learning and adapting will be going on for some time. At the onset, when I was still in the Navy Installations job, our focus was to assess and adjust service levels while ensuring safety of our team and prioritization of critical missions operations. Businesses outside the fence-line were doing the same thing. It was an absolute imperative that the bases were aligned with their surrounding communities and were in constant communication with local and state authorities. This is most certainly an example of where cooperative military and civic partnerships matter—you can’t spin up in a crisis if those relationships are not already established. While the world knows you as an outstanding senior naval officer and mentoring leader, what memories and experiences of driving Navy destroyers and cruisers do you cherish? I consider myself very fortunate to have served alongside the most dedicated and professional shipmates. My heart is full of wonderful memories, including even the most challenging bridge watches or harrowing experiences. As with each of those, the memories are not focused on the bad, but instead on the team I was a part of. I am very grateful for the many diverse assignments I had, whether at sea or ashore. I feel pretty spoiled having been able to command both a ship and a base, and reaped the rewards of those experiences. once you are out of the job is too late, and also a disservice to you and your Looking ahead at your transition to life as a civilian, what’s next for left—I just did not do such a great job of it myself.you and your family? family. I always told my team to ensure they knocked all this out before they As far as what is next…I am in a phase of reinvention. Searching for what I can do that both builds on my experiences, but “ …I am in a phase of reinvention. Liberty Life’s mission is to connect and support one of the nation’s largest communities of military, also allows me to grow and contribute on a new level. I Searching for what I can do that both Veterans, and their families with relevant, relatable am pursuing Board of Directors work. As part of Corporate Navy builds on my experiences, but also and useful information. How can Liberty Life these past three years running a global operation, I bring those experiences to the table. I’m also doing a bit of consulting. support our military base commander’s mission, the allows me to grow and contribute on a new level. “ Of course, I would like to commit some of my time to leadership and civic nonprofit work eventually. Servicemembers and their families? A great question; we are living in a saturated information market, and I think it becomes very difficult to filter the valuable The one piece of advice I would offer has to do with how to approach the nuggets of information out of the white noise. I worry that so much is thrown transition. There are many great programs out there to help with transition, out there, in so many venues and media sources, that really important key things that must be done to close out your military chapter, and some information gets lost. And, of course, what is valuable to one person, may be “nice to do” things you can sign up for in uniform before you depart, like junk to another. I know you will keep the military and the surrounding National Park passes. Waiting until the last minute or saying you will do it all communities as your zenith. Keep your reporting factual and non-political. Ask yourself in everything that you put out there: why would the reader care? There is so much here in Jax to highlight, to educate, and to connect. The more you can highlight the great work and weave the military, communities, and industry together, the better. As a leader throughout your naval career, planning to be ready for the future was a significant part of your duty. What would you say to someone considering the Navy as a future job or career? I am most certainly biased, but whether a short time in the military or a full career, the benefits far outweigh the sacrifices. When I mentor others, I always encourage them to study the options both in and out of the military, talk to others to gather data points, keep all doors open, and don’t get tricked into believing the grass is greener on the other side. The leadership experiences and the education and training provided in the service are extremely valuable. I’ve been witness to pretty dramatic changes in the military in terms of inclusivity and culture. No organization is perfect, but the focus on these topics remains a priority and is not going away. Being a part of a diverse team, working towards a common mission, and feeling it come together is very fulfilling and enriching. You will learn more about yourself—your strengths and your weaknesses—and those experiences will benefit you for whatever journey you select.