A tiny fraction of American will ever serve the country in uniform. And that’s okay. The military, like every other job in the country, isn’t for everyone. We don’t have a draft right now, so for those who choose a different career path, more power to you
I chose the military and spent 15 great years in uniform (and one not-so-great year in Afghanistan). There’s no sense in asking me if I would do it over again. The answer is a resounding “yes.”
With that in mind, it’s easier to understand why someone who had served and got out without reaching retirement age would want to do it all again. That’s especially true if they nearly lost their life the first time around.
Enter Fox News host and personality Joey Jones. He lost both legs and nearly lost his life as an explosive ordnance specialist in Afghanistan. He’d already served a tour in Iraq. But he’s not done: So on Thursday, he reenlisted in the Marine Corps. And Secretary of War Pete Hegesth, his Fox colleague, did the honors:
? SECWAR JUST ADMINISTERED THE REENLISTMENT OF MARINE LEGEND STAFF SERGEANT JOHNNY JOEY JONES!
The Department of War making it official, one of America’s greatest living heroes is back in uniform.
From machine gunner in Iraq to EOD tech in Afghanistan… losing both legs to an… https://t.co/brt9h6cBF6 pic.twitter.com/cB0gslsKwf
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) May 20, 2026
Jones said:
The last job I had in uniform — my job was to get better. It was to heal. It’s a very selfish thing. My job was to heal. The Marine Corps paid me to get better, and then I retired. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but it was unfinished business.
Jones is a familiar face to Fox viewers, and many know part of his story. He is a former staff sergeant who served for eight years in the Marines, during which he was deployed twice. While in Afghanistan in 2010, he worked as an Explosive Ordnance Technician. Unfortunately, an incident involving an IED resulted in the loss of both of his legs and caused severe damage to his right forearm and both wrists.
Despite these challenges, Jones has reached a point where he can joke about his injuries. However, he is also sincere in his belief that he still has more to offer in serving his country:
If there’s an opportunity for me to serve, there’s no reason why a no-legged 40-year-old staff sergeant should be able to put the uniform on, other than these men believed it. And the goal here is to open that door for anyone else that has something left to give.
I was honored to reenlist my friend, Staff Sergeant @Johnny_Joey, into the United States Marine Corps.
Joey has always been the kind of man who puts his country, his fellow Marines, and something greater than himself first—proud to have him back in uniform. pic.twitter.com/OstlqPqg3q
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) May 21, 2026
Hegseth said reenlisting Jones was “a no-brainer”:
I don’t think there’s a better spokesman for the Marine Corps, understanding what it’s all about, what it means to serve, the brotherhood that exists then, than how Joey talks about it on television so that the American people understand it and connect to it in a visceral way.
If you spend any time with them, which I know a lot of you have, you know it’s in his bones. It’s in his heart and soul, wearing that uniform. When I first got word that he was interested in getting back in uniform, it actually didn’t surprise me.
Jones will continue his Fox News gig on “The Big Weekend Show,” but he will also continue serving. At a time when we are starved for examples of sacrifice, Jones reenlisting is more of what need.
What a great 250th birthday gift.
