Sault teen named Military Child of the Year for the Coast Guard

SAULT STE. MARIE — Sault teen Haydn Jones recently received national recognition after being named as the Military Child of the Year for the Coast Guard.

Operation Homefront is a nationwide nonprofit organization that aims to help military families with whatever assistance they may need. The organization helps with financial assistance, assistance to families with deployed family members and helps with food insecurity.

Fifteen years ago, Operation Homeland began the Military Child of the Year program which aims to recognize and help kids in military families who already help and support their families and communities. Each year, seven teens are recognized, one from each branch of the military — Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard, and in recent years, the Space Force.

Kids are often recognized because of significant involvement in their communities such as through volunteer work or earning scholarships.

The seven award recipients for 2023 have a combined number of 1,661 logged volunteer hours in the 12 months before nomination and have moved a collective 37 times, usually due to parents changing deployments.

Haydn Jones, son of U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Anthony Jones and retired U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Gretchen Jones, has a history of military service on both sides of the family. Along with his parents, Jones has grandfathers and great-grandfathers who served in the military on both sides of his family.

"With all of that family, I have a deep connection to the military," he said. "I'm interested in serving in the military as well, and following that pathway that my family has taken before."

For most of his life, both of Jones' parents were in the military, causing them to move several times.

About two and a half years ago, the Jones family moved to Sault Ste. Marie as Jones' father accepted a position in the Sault Ste. Marie Coast Guard Sector.

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Since coming to the Soo, Jones has joined several local groups and worked hard to contribute to the community. Jones is also cadet master sergeant and a flight sergeant in the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), which is an auxiliary branch of the Air Force. CAP provides help with emergency services and aiding the Air Force when necessary but is also responsible for a cadet training program, similar to the ROTC.

People involved in CAP can go through educational and training programs to help them learn more about the Air Force and give them a path to join when they grow up.

"They provide resources for anyone interested in the Air Force from ages 12 to 21," Jones said. "I had the privilege to be involved in their programs, like their summer camps and national cadet activities, it's incredible."

Jones wants to join the military when he is older, and plans on working with aviation in the future.

Jones also volunteers in the community and is part of a local Boy Scout troop.

Since coming to Sault Ste. Marie, he has volunteered several hundred hours locally and has also been a part of a local trail building project with nonprofit OUT House Consortium. As part of a local project to build an extended hiking trail in city limits, Jones helped in the building of a bridge so the trail can be accessed.

With other Boy Scouts, Jones cleared about a mile of trail using a makeshift bridge and helped to install the new bridge, allowing the trail to be completed.

More:New hiking trail opens up in Sault city limits

More:Sault residents can start hiking in their own backyard

Jones wanted to thank the various people and groups that have helped him out over the years.

"So many people have helped me along the way, I think a lot of my success getting chosen for this award should be attributed to them before me," said Jones.

For winning the award, Jones will be recognized in a ceremony at the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City in Arlington, Virginia and will receive a free laptop and a $10,000 grant.

Jones plans on using the grant money to help his church support a Guatemalan mission trip to help build homes and provide support for the less fortunate.

— Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com

This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Sault teen named Military Child of the Year for the Coast Guard