Air Force veteran joins Student Affairs

Before his first day at UNC-Chapel Hill, James Jacks asked his manager what he should wear to work.

“My manager said, ‘You’re asking me what to wear?’ I think I just smiled and said, ‘Well, I’ve just been wearing a uniform for 22 years.’”

After a few months as administrative assistant for student life and leadership, the U.S. Air Force veteran no longer worries about his wardrobe. Instead, he focuses on each day with a fresh perspective.

“The first thing I noticed were the students in the Pit,” he said, referring to the bustling campus hub outside his office in the Frank Porter Graham Student Union. “They have great initiatives that they’re passionate about, and they are doing something to support what they believe in. It gives me hope for the future, because they believe in something bigger than themselves.”

Family matters

One of five children, Jacks was born in Michigan and grew up in Tennessee. He knew his family expected him to go to college after high school, but after starting at two different schools, he decided it just wasn’t the right time.

With support from his father and grandfather — who served in the Air Force and U.S. Navy, respectively — Jacks contacted a recruiter. At 20, he joined the Air Force and headed to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio for basic training.

Over the years, he was stationed in Turkey, Japan (where he met his wife), Germany, Florida and California, and deployed multiple times to Afghanistan and Iraq, missing special events like his son’s first day of kindergarten.

“Missing those moments was difficult,” said Jacks. “But I loved what I was doing, and always tried to remember that even though I wasn’t physically there, I was taking care of my family.”

Tough transitions, new opportunities

Jacks was temporarily serving as acting first sergeant, dealing more with personnel issues than operations, when he made the decision to retire earlier this year.

“Over the course of two decades, military life ebbs and flows,” he said. “I could feel that I wasn’t reaching the newer cadets as well as maybe someone else could. And I knew it was time.”

One week after his retirement ceremony as a master sergeant, Jacks and his family made the cross-country move to North Carolina to be closer to relatives and start their next chapter in civilian life.

The transition wasn’t smooth sailing at first.

“It was tough, and I definitely found myself feeling a little down,” he said. “I went from deploying overseas and managing budgets for the military to driving through the carpool line. I loved being with my kids, but I also knew I needed something else.”

Interested in a career in education, he attended a local job fair, met a representative from Carolina and applied for his current position. Jacks started his role in September.

“I wanted to take my organizational and communication skills from the military and use them to do something entirely different this time around,” he said. “Anything we need, whether it’s ordering items for an event or organizing the supplies room, I’m on it. No day here is the same, and it’s fun. I love it.”

Jacks is looking forward to connecting with veteran organizations on campus and volunteering his time to support the next generation of military heroes.

“The military gave me the perspective to power through almost anything,” he said. “Any way I can share that, help someone find that sense of belonging and contribute to the greater good — that’s the most rewarding part for me.”