FORT LIBERTY — When Staff Sgt. Jarvis Brannon III joined the military, he was seeking better opportunities for his family.
Brannon grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, and after dropping out of high school, took a GED test through the Florida Youth Challenge Academy on Camp Blanding in 2014,
He’s since earned multiple degrees and is working toward his doctorate, while also hoping to become a drill sergeant. He currently serves in the 18th Airborne Corps’ intelligence and security operations section.
“The way I grew up, I don’t want to go back there,” Brannon said. “I grew up in a three-bedroom, one-bathroom house with four boys and a mom who worked three jobs. There was no man in the house. I’ve never had a sense of stability until I joined the Army.”
After he earned his GED in 2014, Brannon found jobs working for Hardee’s, FedEx, UPS and as a correctional officer.
“I was at work one day and saw how expensive insurance was for a family,” Brannon said. “Someone told me the Army and Army Reserves pays for insurance, so I said, ‘They can sign me up.’”