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Spartanburg native Lietenant Colonel (LTC) Jason Pike has lived a storied life of courage, honor, and resilience — and now he’s making it his mission to share the lessons he’s learned.
The early years of LTC Pike’s life weren’t easy. In early elementary school, he was diagnosed with an acute learning disability and failed the first grade, putting him a year behind the rest of his peers. Several years later, he was diagnosed with osteomyelitis, a crippling bone disease that was dissolving the bone of his knee, adding physical challenges onto the academic challenges he already faced.
As a teenager, it didn’t seem as though there were many options on the table for him. A school counselor told him not to bother with college, and his personal expectations were set low. “I figured I’d probably work at McDonald’s,” he said. “You just hoped you’d get a job and stay out of trouble.”
However, LTC Pike was raised by a father who had grown up in the depths of poverty and drilled into him the importance of hard work and determination.
“He would tell me, ‘You’re so much better off than I was,’” LTC Pike recalled. “‘You’ve just got to keep working harder.’”
Because he was a year behind in school, LTC Pike was only in his junior year of high school when he joined the National Guard at age seventeen. At the time, he says, he didn’t have much confidence in himself to do anything, but the National Guard felt like a safe enough entry point.
What he didn’t expect was how this simple decision would be the beginning of the rest of his life. LTC Pike attended basic training between 11th and 12th grade, then attended junior college and was ROTC before finally enrolling at Clemson University on an ROTC scholarship. All around him, people were shocked to see the student who had always struggled through school attending college on a scholarship, but it was simply the first of many times that his hard-built determination would show itself.
After graduating from Clemson, he left the ROTC and rejoined the National Guard — this time as an officer. Once again, this was a shock to those around him. “At the time, it was really unusual for someone to go from enlisted to officer,” explained LTC Pike. “It would be like going from a roofer to becoming the supervisor of the neighborhood. It just doesn’t happen.”
Several years later, he was picked up for active duty and began what would be over two decades of traveling the world serving in the military. His time in the service took him to Korea, Germany, Afghanistan, El Salvador, and Canada.
In total, LTC Pike spent thirty-one years in the military, where he earned over 30 different badges, awards, and service ribbons, including the Bronze Star, which was earned for actions during his service in Afghanistan. And while he may have grown up as the boy who struggled through school, he completed over 25 formal military schools — something no one would have thought possible all those years ago.
Upon retiring from the military as a lieutenant colonel, LTC Pike was faced with a new dilemma: what came next? Having joined the military at only seventeen years old, he hadn’t experienced life outside of the military since childhood and felt a bit lost. Immediately, he made the call to prioritize all aspects of healthcare, and spent two years intentionally seeking medical healthcare as well as post-traumatic care. Then, when the pandemic hit, he joined the forces fighting a new kind of war and worked with the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
A little over two years later, LTC Pike decided it was time to chase a passion project. His first book, A Solider Against All Odds, chronicled his time in the military, sharing a genuine and frank account of his years in uniform. It published in late 2022 and early 2023 and became a #1 bestseller.
However, LTC Pike wasn’t done. In the the years since, he’s published two more books. His second book Out of the Uniform, Back into Civilian Life, serves as a firsthand guide for veterans seeking clear, actionable guidance as they navigate the complexities of VA benefits and assistance programs in post-military life. His third book, Leading Through the Crossfire, explores the difficulties and challenges of toxic leadership in a work environment — something deeply relatable to military and non-military individuals alike.
“My worst experience, even though I’ve been in the war, it was more like being in a toxic work environment,” he shared. “So I wanted to write about what to do when you’re in a wicked workplace and to remind people that you’re not alone.”
In addition to his books, LTC Pike frequently speaks at events and on podcasts, sharing more of his story. He’s currently working on his fourth book, which is not yet named but will explore white southern poverty.
Despite having spent so many years traveling the world — which LTC Pike shares instilled in him a great love for authentic Korean cuisine — post-military life brought him back to Spartanburg, where he still resides.
“The community, the familiarity…I still travel a lot, but it’s always the place that I call home. It always gives me good memories.”
To learn more about LTC Jason Pike, purchase books or have him speak at your next event, visit www.jasonpike.org.
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