December 2020 Veteran of the Month: Jeaniel Image

 

 

Military Service

19 years as a Boatswain's Mate First Class (E-6) in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Navy Reserves. Still serves in the Reserves and is assigned to Assault Craft Unit One Detachment Tampa as the Department Head of Training.

Volunteer Service

Tampa platoon leader for The Mission Continues, a national nonprofit that encourages veterans to serve their local communities after leaving the military.

Biography

Jeaniel Image is a Navy sailor who served on active duty and currently serves in the Reserves as a Boatswain's Mate First Class. She joined the Navy in 2001 as a Boatswain's Mate and in 2002 deployed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. She later served on the guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay where she was the Boatswain Mate of the Watch and, in port, Officer of the Deck. Later, she deployed with the Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group in support of a customs mission to return troops home from Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait. She currently serves in the Navy Reserves and is assigned to Assault Craft Unit One Detachment Tampa as the Department Head of Training.

With The Mission Continues, Jeaniel volunteers as the Tampa platoon leader, leading the chapter’s work in improving the quality of life for Tampa Bay communities. The chapter has been especially involved in food insecurity concerns in the Tampa Bay area, working with farmers and other Tampa nonprofits to help to provide food assistance to area residents.

Jeaniel’s military awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with M (Mobilized) device, and the Enlisted Expeditionary Warfare Specialist qualification. She holds a bachelor's degree in fine arts with a minor in art therapy from the University of Tampa.