After being pulled from Afghanistan in 2021, Major Jake Johnson realized that the only factor he could control in his service was his level of dedication. Now an assistant professor of military science for BYU’s Army ROTC, Johnson hopes to inspire students to recognize the impact their service can have regardless of location or task.
Johnson’s military journey began at Southern Virginia University, where he studied business management and joined the Army ROTC. He recognized several connections between teamwork in his degree and in his service, and he enjoyed solving and working through problems at the team level in both environments. By the time he graduated, he was set to commission in the army and use his supply chain management skills as a transportation officer.
In his 15 years of service since, Johnson has served across the globe—all around Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, including two combat deployments in Afghanistan. The frequent relocations have meant that he and his family needed to quickly adjust to the changes in lifestyle that accompanied each assignment, so Johnson and his wife adopted a mentality that they felt shaped their outlook on service. “Everywhere we’ve gone, we’ve always tried to be ministering angels,” he explains.
But that isn’t to say his commitment to service hasn’t been tested. During Johnson’s two separate deployments in Afghanistan, he poured years of energy into his service and served there until the United States withdrew. While he understood why the decision was made, he also felt as if he hadn’t finished the service he was hoping to accomplish—he remembers worrying that all of his time there was for nothing.
Except, Johnson also understood that the outcome was out of his hands—a realization that reminded him of a lesson he learned as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where his goal was to find and teach people who were willing to learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ. “It was like going around knocking doors,” he explains. “At the end of the day, it was my job to show up and try, and I had to depend on the Lord for everything else.”
So Johnson reframed his doubts, focusing instead on what he could control: his level of dedication. “It let me understand that I can do the very best I can,” he describes. Even if the outcome isn’t something he anticipates, Johnson explains, “It doesn’t mean that I stop learning and serving. The scriptures are replete with individuals who were trying to serve and only experienced opposition—and I am no better than them.”
After his deployment to Afghanistan and other assignments, Johnson applied to serve in the BYU Army ROTC in hopes of instilling a similar mindset of selfless service into cadets. “These cadets get a full year of extensive leadership training just before they go on to be platoon leaders in the US Army,” he describes. “I want to help cadets understand what they have the potential to do, regardless of the fears and anxieties that they might have.”
Johnson emphasizes that his goal is to capitalize on the cadets’ leadership training and help them recognize the value behind service, no matter the country’s situation or factors outside their control. To accomplish that objective, Johnson focuses heavily on real-world application and perception.
“In my classes, I bring in not only the teaching and training of fundamental soldiering but I also help them understand what’s going on in the world and answer any questions they have, and ultimately tie it back into the gospel of Jesus Christ,” he explains. “I want them to know what the army is really doing out there today, and understanding these things—coupled with a testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ—makes for a powerful instrument in the Lord’s hands to lead America’s soldiers.”
Johnson believes it’s important to prepare cadets for possible challenges in the future and to teach them to find motivation through doing their best with what they can control. He says, “What matters is you’re still showing up, you’re still trying, and you’re still actively serving.”
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Written by Nicholas Day