The Good Life – May-June 2018

LOCAL HERO // JASON HICKS
PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY: JASON HICKS
explained Ray Pizarro, having known Hicks for
21 years and serving overseas together. “And
the mission is righteous.”
It was that mentality that Hicks led with as
an infantryman and platoon sergeant during
his deployments to Germany – where he was
sent to the Persian Gulf War – and Bosnia for a
peacekeeping mission in 2003.
"Jason never cared about his career more than
he cared about his men," Pizarro said. "He put
us before himself, meaning if bad news came
down the pipe and he had to pick a couple of
volunteers to go do something rotten, instead of
picking two, he'd pick one and do it with them.”
It was that unique style of
leadership that allowed Hicks to
build both trust and rapport with
his unit.
"There wasn't a single task that
was ever questioned,” Pizarro said. “People
would line up, saying, 'What do you need me
to do? I'll do it.' Because they knew he would
suffer with them.”
Getting his first taste of leadership while
serving his country molded Hicks into the
person he is today – one who bleeds red, white
and blue.
"I saw the best and worst of people. It's
something that I learned from," he said. “Some
people talk about how great other places are.
But having seen first, second and third-world
countries, there's no doubt that we're it. I will
never apologize for being an American. And I
never have."
32 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com