Patriotism and appreciation for our service members is a prominent attribute in country music – we not only appreciate those whom serve, but treat them with the utmost respect and care, letting them know them know that their service was not in vain. Many country artists have served themselves, so naturally the call to serve those whom continue to serve is a natural and admirable passion.
Country music artist Jared Ashley practices that passion daily. Having served in the United States Navy from 1997 until his honorable discharge in 2001, Ashley found himself in an environment many will never experience – stationed in Japan on the naval carrier USS Independence (then the USS Kitty Hawk after the Independence was decommissioned), the Aviation Boatswain’s Mate underwent two tours in the Persian Gulf, discovering the full scope of naval operations many back home do not see on their television sets – ” a lot of people don’t realize the navy – the media covers the boots on the ground because that’s where the newsworthy media stuff is. But the navy does just as much damage from hundreds of miles away via aircraft.”
When his time in service completed, Ashley pursued the next calling in his life – country music. Moving to Nashville, Ashley quickly immersed in the scene and his career began – landing a coveted weekend spot performing at the historic Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, he soon found himself finishing in fifth place during the fourth season of the television show “Nashville Star” and a rapid growing fan base. Becoming a road warrior in this ‘ten year town’, Ashley toured extensively, performing at festivals and bars throughout the country. It was at one of these tour stops that his former life collided with his music career.
At a show in Oregon, Ashley invited two former shipmates backstage – they reminisced on their days of service, recounting stories and wondering what ever happen to other members. To Ashley’s surprise, many of them were still in contact via a Facebook page, the United States Navy Flight Deck Veterans Group. With roughly 6,000 members at the time of Ashley’s discovery, it was apparent that even after discharge there was a continued sense of brotherhood and call for service – “there is still this urge to continuing serving. Serving on a flight deck, it’s a very unique breed of people. It takes a special kind of person to stand up there and work that job.,” Ashley states, “and I just thought ‘we should start a fraternal organization, start a non-profit in the name of the Flight Deck Veterans group.”Using his position in country music to outreach through the power of social media, more veterans started taking note of the newly founded nonprofit – allowing veterans of every generation to participate, the oldest active member served in WWII. Support throughout the generations is prominent, many whom served in wars such as Vietnam supporting those whom returned home from the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of the members do carry scars that are seen and unseen, and the group is a safe haven that understands the physical scars are not the worst that many veterans live with. Also allowing Marines and Coast Guard personnel whom served on flight decks, there are no prejudices – “Yeomans to Engineers to Fuelers to Crash and Salvage to Aviation Ordinance, the jobs were completely different but they were essentially one in the same. We all had to work together, we all trained together, we all lived together, we all drank together, hung out together,” Ashley smiles. “I’ve never even met most of the group but when we do all get together, it’s as if we’ve known each other our whole lives and it’s because we have that unique connection to each other that nobody else has. It’s really a brotherhood.” 
And that brotherhood is fulfilling their overriding sense of service by giving back. Members do have to pay a small fee, however those fees are strictly used for events large and small. Operation Cherrybend: A Hero’s Hunt is the pride of FDVG – after the inception weekend in April of 2015, Ashley and a group of upcoming singer-songwriters (Lewis Brice, Ray Stephenson, Sal Gonzalez (a double amputee himself), and Buddy Owens) will take five wounded veterans to Cherrybend Pheasant Farms in Wilmington, OH, for four days of pheasant hunting and songwriter rounds by night. With transportation donated by All Access Transportation, these veterans will get the experience of being a traveling musician while the accommodations cater more to their specific physical needs. Sponsored by Shellback Rum and hosted by The Ellis Family (owners of Cherrybound Pheasant Farm), there will also be a downtown concert with artists to be announced shortly.
With over 16,000 members umbrella’d under the main Facebook page, different chapters are starting to pop up across the United States, more events are planned and the sense of brotherhood is expanding. “We’re going to continue to grow and the bigger we get the more things we can do. I’m stoked about it. I don’t know where we’ll be in the next five to ten years, but I think it’s going to be huge.”
For more information on membership, Operation Cherrybend: A Hero’s Hunt or to show support of the United States Navy Flight Deck Veterans Group, head over to www.fdvg.org.