Chapman University alumnus and Navy veteran Dr. Jason I. Hernández ’98 served aboard the battleship USS Missouri during the first Gulf War before building a career in human resources. Today he is chief human resources officer at Mississippi State University. This Veterans Day, he reflects on what the Navy taught him about leadership and why the connections he made at Chapman still matter to him.
Aboard the USS Missouri
Hernández enlisted in the Navy in 1987 and served on the USS Missouri as a damage controlman. His job covered shipboard firefighting, flood control, and chemical, biological, and nuclear defense. During the first Gulf War in 1990 and 1991, he saw how much a crew depends on teamwork and preparation in high-pressure situations.
“On a ship, if there’s a fire or flooding, nobody’s coming to help. You and the people next to you handle it,” Hernández said. “That stuck with me.”
He applies that same mindset to human resources leadership.
“Most of the job is preparing ahead of time so small problems don’t turn into big ones, and when something does go wrong, staying calm and focusing on a solution is all that matters,” he said.
Finding camaraderie at Chapman
After his military service, Hernández enrolled at Chapman in 1995 and earned a Bachelor of Science in environmental science with a minor in biology. He played football, served in student government, and joined Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, which became a large part of his college life.
Many of his fraternity brothers were either veterans or preparing to serve. One, an ROTC cadet, commissioned as a second lieutenant and deployed to the Middle East during the second Gulf War. Hernández had been through the first one on the Missouri, so he knew some of what his friend would face and did what he could to support him.
“I was proud of him then and I still am,” Hernández said. “And he wasn’t the only one. There were plenty of guys like him, and we looked out for each other.”
Those friendships are what still tie him to Chapman.
“The degree mattered, but the brotherhood is why I still feel connected to this place,” he said.
Lessons that outlast the uniform
More than 30 years after leaving the Missouri, Hernández still credits the Navy with giving him discipline, confidence, and a path to college. That foundation carried him through 12 years leading global HR at FedEx Freight, a role as chief human resources officer at Centerstone and, in 2026, a move into higher education at Mississippi State.
“Not many people can say they served on a battleship, and I’m proud to call myself a battleship sailor,” he said.
His message to fellow Chapman alumni who served: don’t undersell what the military taught you, and keep in touch with the people who understand it.
“Working under pressure, taking care of your team, and figuring things out when the plan falls apart are things most people never get tested on,” he said. “And stay in touch with each other. Some of my best friendships are with people who get it without my having to explain it.”
