How long was JD Vance in the Marines?

Before becoming Donald Trump’s election partner and the poster boy for couch memes, JD Vance spent a few years in the Marines.

Born in Middletown, Ohio, JD Vance decided to enlist in the Marine Corps immediately after graduating from high school. This choice, made in 2003, would set him on a path that would ultimately shape his future career and political outlook. Vance’s decision to join the military was influenced by his upbringing and desire to find direction in life, as he later detailed in his memoir Hillbilly Elegy.

Vance’s time in the Marine Corps lasted four years, from 2003 to 2007. During this period, he served as a combat correspondent, a role that combined elements of journalism with military service. This position allowed Vance to develop communication and public relations skills while also experiencing various aspects of military life.

Did JD Vance get sent to war?

Vance was deployed to Iraq for six months in late 2005 as part of his service. While he did not engage in direct combat, his role as a combat correspondent put him close to military operations and allowed him to witness firsthand the realities of a war zone. This experience, though brief in the context of his overall service, would later influence his perspectives on foreign policy and military intervention.

Vance was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina for most of his service. There, he worked with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, honing his military journalism and public affairs knowledge. In the final nine months of his service, he took on the role of media relations officer at Cherry Point, a position typically reserved for more senior Marines.

After his honorable discharge from the Marine Corps in 2007, Vance used the GI Bill to further his education. He attended Ohio State University and later Yale Law School — experiences that, combined with his military service, would form the foundation of his future career in law, business, and politics.

Vance has credited his military service with teaching him discipline and responsibility and providing him with a broader perspective on life and national service. Nevertheless, Trump’s choice of VP has been controversial since he stepped into the spotlight, with his latest remarks on Tim Walz’s career as a Marine serving to malign his shaky reputation further. Plus, since Vance’s family has angered even hardcore MAGA voters, it looks like his military background is not doing the Trump campaign any favors. Well, at least Vance crawling out of the shadows has given us plenty of reasons to laugh.