Nick Jones

This week’s Veterans Spotlight shines on Nick Jones

Nick Jones grew up in Overland Park, Kansas, and developed a keen interest in the military after witnessing the 9/11 attacks while in 5th grade. Driven by this passion, he graduated early to enlist in the Marine Corps, where he completed boot camp as a mortarman in January 2010. He joined the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, and served in Afghanistan as a scout sniper in 2012.

After gaining the necessary experience and rank, Jones qualified for Marine Raider status within the Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC) in January 2013. He utilized his expertise in mortars during a 2016 deployment to Iraq with MARSOC’s 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, Hotel Company, Team 2. During Operation Inherent Resolve, Jones returned to Iraq, serving as third in command of a team of U.S. ground combat Special Operations Forces (Eagles) that supported Iraqi partner forces.

Throughout his career, Jones was deployed five times, including three combat deployments. He earned the Marine Corps Commendation Medal with a combat V for valor and spent his final six years in MARSOC.

On March 8, 2020, during an operation near Mosul, Iraq, assisting Iraqi forces in clearing Islamic State militants from a cave, Jones led a split team. When he learned that two Eagles from the other group were down, he braved intense gunfire to reach them. Along the way, he rescued an injured French ally and attempted to reach his teammates by navigating across cavern roofs under cover fire. Despite his efforts, Jones found that his team leaders were already dead.

Determined to recover his fallen comrades, Jones requested sniper support, Apache helicopter fire, and hellfire missiles, while engaging the enemy with grenades. However, in his final attempt, he was struck by enemy fire, severely injuring the main sensory and motor nerve in his right leg, ultimately ending his 11-year Marine Corps career.

Jones was awarded the Purple Heart and became only the eighth Marine Raider to receive the Navy Cross, the Navy’s second-highest award for valor, since the group's inception in 2006. He sought support at the July 2020 funeral for his fallen team members and faced personal struggles similar to those he experienced after losing his best friend in a 2017 helicopter crash.

Following multiple surgeries that failed to alleviate the pain and dysfunction of his leg, Jones officially retired on November 10, 2021, having undergone eight major surgeries by 2022. He grappled with the mental and emotional toll of losing his comrades, his team, his military career, and his physical capabilities.

Seeking a new purpose, in 2021, Jones founded Talon’s Reach, a foundation dedicated to supporting Eagles suffering from physical, mental, and moral injuries. He named the foundation in honor of his fallen best friend, Talon Leach. Jones shared, “I really want to show people that it’s okay to ask for help, that it’s okay to be hurting, to be struggling, mentally and physically.”

Thank you for your service!