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Jason France

@jay_f_adventures

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- “Meat Grinder”
- PCT ‘21, CT ‘22, TRT ‘23, JMT ‘25
- Air Force Veteran
- Author of Five Million Steps

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🛡️ The next fight won't wait for us to be ready. The question is…will we be?

Join Jason France, Military Partnerships Manager at Kaplan North America and Purdue Global, for the "The Next Fight Is Already Here" panel at AFSA Summit 26.

Tomorrow's challenges demand leaders who prepare today. This timely discussion will explore how enlisted leaders can strengthen organizational culture, develop resilient teams, foster disciplined initiative, and build the adaptability required to succeed in an increasingly complex operational environment. Because the next fight begins long before the first shot is fired.

With more than 35 years of leadership experience, including serving as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader for United States Transportation Command, Jason has spent his career developing warfighters at every level of the Department of Defense. Today, he continues to invest in the military community by connecting service members, veterans, and their families with educational opportunities that prepare them for continued success.

Whether leading at home station, deployed, or preparing the next generation of Airmen and Guardians, this panel will challenge you to think differently about readiness, leadership, and the responsibility we have to build organizations prepared for whatever comes next.

🎟️ Register today: https://thesummitafsa.org

#AFSASummit26 #AFSA #Leadership #MissionReadiness #MilitaryLeadership #summit365 #LeadershipDevelopment #TheNextFight

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The best friends I have came from shared suffering

Clip from podcast 168 with @jay_f_adventures. Comment 168 below and I’ll personally DM you the episode

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I read this book “Five Million Steps” about a year ago by a fellow Defender, @jay_f_adventures. Not a day has gone by where I wasn’t dreaming about following in “Meat Grinder’s” footsteps when I retire from the military and hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. One way I got through my deployment was watching the PCT Class of 2025 share their daily videos and researching and buying gear that I can’t wait to use now that I’m home. It’s a real problem 😂.

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John Muir Trail
Day 14, Sept 3
The Two Pass Day
It was a planned “big day” to get over both Mather Pass and Pinchot Pass as a day hike. My idea was to get 20 miles to the “golden gate of the Sierra” a suspension bridge that crosses above Woods Creek.
Foggy clouds played games against the highest peaks in the early hours. It was mesmerizing to watch as they retreated and again pushed forward lapping over the ridgeline in waves.
An exciting moment for me was when I realized I was the very first person either north or southbound to reach the top of the 12094’ pass. More exciting than that was that only a few minutes after I was joined by Brad and Jay who I’d last seen days before taking their zero at VVR. The trail is amazing in how it reunites us lovers of high places at just the right moments. I’d first met these two when I was at Reds Meadow and was just a hairs breadth away from quitting the trail altogether. The enthusiasm and encouragement of these two and many other hikers are the reason I ultimately decided to stay, weather be damned. Mather Pass was a mother of a climb even though I had started the approach the previous day. The views from the top were epic and the plateau between here and Pinchot was incredible to saunter through. Once I reached the approach to Pinchot I found it to be cruisey and beautiful in comparison, only steepening towards the very top. Once I reached the highest point of the pass at 12127’ I gave a hearty yell. I had completed the two pass day but now had about 7 additional miles to reach 20 for the day and finally get myself ahead of schedule. I stopped short of the bridge by 3 miles at the end of the day putting myself 6 miles ahead. I found a great campsite near woods creek and met a wonderful PCT hiker from Germany who had decided to take her time and leave some trail for next year.
Today was an epic day on the JMT!

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John Muir Trail
Day 9, Aug 29

My original plan was to take a zero at VVR, but because I had taken the impromptu zero at Reds Meadow, I decided in the morning to have breakfast, do my laundry take another shower and head up the trail. Normally hikers that visit the resort hike along the south side of the lake up a trail that skips 4.5 miles of the actual JMT. I determined to go back via the same painful route up Mono Creek that I had come down so that again I wouldn’t have to face my reflection in the mirror telling me that I didn’t complete the trail. I resolved not to miss a single step of the JMT!
Breakfast was crazy. It was called a lumberjack breakfast and I think it was still enough for two lumberjacks to eat, it included about three baking sized potatoes worth of hashbrowns, two eggs, ham, bacon, and sausage alongside two of the largest pancakes you’ll ever see! Unfortunately, you’ll never see them because, well I ate them, and also because I had my phone charging in the room and didn’t take a photo. Needless to say, I wasn’t able to finish the whole thing, but I put a really good dent in it. It was delicious!
I got my laundry done and asked for my resupply box which they could not find. This was really bad news. I needed my resupply in order to continue on the trail, searching time and again by third try they’d found it and I was very relieved.
Hiking away by the route I’d selected, being pigheaded and not wanting to miss any steps, was probably not the right decision. I faced 2000 vertical feet of switchbacks in 2.5 miles, basically climbing a mountain just to get over to the trail that I would’ve taken up from VVR in the first place. So while I hiked about 17 miles today, I only gained about 4 miles of actual distance towards Mount Whitney. I got it done, however, and I can forever brag that I didn’t miss a step!
It was a beautiful day again with no rain. By day’s end, for the first time in over a week of being on trail, I was able to sit and eat and watch the sunset while also cleaning up and organizing my things to get ready for the trail ahead.

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Join us tomorrow from 2-4 at New Terrain Brewing in Golden!

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I am pleased to announce that a book I contributed to is now available for preorder! In what will surely be one of the greatest honors of my life, @backcountrychampion invited me to contribute a chapter about my experience on the Colorado Trail. Obviously, I jumped at the chance. I am honored to be included with such a great list of authors and hikers. This is a great read for anyone thinking of hiking a long trail or taking on a daunting task. Preorder link for “More Than Hope: Lessons From the Colorado Trail” is in my bio!

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Two men. Two memoirs. One shared truth:

Healing is hard, but possible.

In honor of Men’s Mental Health Month, we’re proud to see “Five Million Steps” by Jason France and “Why Not Me?” by Todd Simmons lighting up two Paramount Global billboards in Times Square!

“Five Million Steps” follows Jason’s solo hike of the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail after retiring from a decorated Air Force career. A physical journey that becomes a mental renewal, building gratitude for his life and those around him.

“Why Not Me?” is Todd’s powerful story of perseverance, from poverty and racism to finding purpose and success through service, mindset, and resilience.

These aren’t just veteran stories. They’re human stories about finding your way forward.

The billboards are live through June 30. If you’re in NYC, look up. And if you’re not, pick up the books.

#MensMentalHealth #TimesSquare #MentalHealthAwareness #VeteranVoices

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MURPH 2025

In memory of Lt. Michael P. Murphy and all who’ve given the ultimate sacrifice.

We don’t do this workout for time.
We do it to honor.
To remember.
To carry the weight—because they can’t.

Thank you to all who came out, pushed through, and paid tribute.

#MurphChallenge #HonorTheFallen #MemorialDayWorkout #CFMetroEast

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The Wonderland Trail with a 110 liter pack. 😳Have you ever had to adjust your backpacking gear after learning the hard way?

Check out more of the story on episode 303 of Backpacker Radio wherever you listen to podcasts.

#podcast #thetrek #backpacking #hiking #thruhike #backpackingtips #mentalhealth #wonderlandtrail

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Getting help is not only the best thing you can do for yourself, but sometimes the best thing you can do for others.

Hear more of Jason’s story on episode 303 of Backpacker Radio — available wherever you listen to podcasts.

#podcast #thetrek #backpacking #hiking #thruhike #backpackingtips #mentalhealth

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Nipple chafe is the ultimate enemy. Has this ever happened to you?

Check out more of Jason France’s story (which involves much more than bloody nipples) wherever you listen to podcasts. Backpacker Radio episode 303.

#podcast #thetrek #backpacking #hiking #thruhike #backpackingtips

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