Why I Serve: Karsten Jacobson

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In the latest edition of the Why I Serve series, the Ponte Vedra Recorder sat down with Karsten Jacobson, a Ponte Vedra-based financial advisor at Edward Jones, to discuss his time in the Navy, why he served in the military and what his experience was like. The full video version of the interview has been posted above.


Why did you enlist in the Navy?

I enlisted in the Navy because when I was a kid, my grandfather was a World War II veteran and my birthday is actually on Veterans Day, so I remember him always coming down for my birthday and meeting with us and I was so proud and so honored that he was a veteran in World War II. He fought for our country in the Philippines. That, I really admired; he was a really big role model of mine. He always calls and says, "Happy birthday," but I always was more proud to say, "Happy Veterans Day." I knew I always wanted to serve my country and I didn't want to be in the Army but I wanted to serve just like he did so I picked the next best thing. To me, that was the Navy.

What was your experience like?

It was a great experience. When I was serving active duty – I'm still a reservist – just the camaraderie, the dedication, the teamwork, working with teams, flying on planes, was amazing. I pushed myself, did things that I didn't think I would ever do, go places, do things I didn't think would be possible, but it really gave me the dedication and the aptitude to go out and do anything I wanted to once I got out of active duty.