Photo By Cpl. Christopher Prelle | U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Jackson Perkins (center), assistant operations officer,...... read more read more
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WASHINGTON – 1st Lt. Jackson Perkins didn’t expect his Marine Corps career to align with a passion for country music, but over time, he developed a talent for storytelling and a love of music that grew alongside his service.
“In my sophomore year at the [Naval] Academy, my roommate and I started learning to play guitar together. He stopped playing shortly after, but I became obsessed with it,” Perkins said, laughing.
Perkins, a United States Naval Academy graduate and native of Barrington, Illinois, developed a fondness for singing and songwriting during his time at the Academy.
He recently stepped into the country music scene with smaller performances during Marine Week Nashville and, most recently, Marine Week Chicago, where he performed the song “In Color” alongside country music star Riley Green.
“If the Marine Corps has taught me anything, it’s taught me that it’s not about you,” Perkins said. “People think of songwriters as people who are all about themselves, but I think it’s the opposite. If you’re up there to connect with people and give them a good time, I think there’s nothing more selfless you can do as a musician.”
After graduating from the Naval Academy, Perkins commissioned into the Marine Corps as an infantry officer, serving in diverse environments ranging from the desert terrain of Twentynine Palms to forward-deployed units in Japan and South Korea. These experiences provided inspiration for his songwriting, as well as a deeper understanding of the stories he wants to tell.
“Living out in the desert and being around my weapons platoon every day, I some of the challenges Marines go through,” Perkins said. “Being the platoon commander, you’re in tune with everyone’s personal life.”
In recent months, Perkins began sharing his music on social media, gaining more than 30,000 followers on Instagram and thousands of views across platforms. His songs reflect not only his personal journey but also the discipline, resilience and leadership shaped by his time in uniform.
“One of the main things you’re taught as an infantry officer is, ‘If not me, then who?’” Perkins said. “Something I take from that is that no one is going to take action unless you step up to the plate.”
Marine Corps infantry officers are entrusted with the responsibility of leading Marines in some of the most demanding and unpredictable environments. For Perkins, this responsibility put him at the forefront of his Marines’ stories of strength, loss, purpose and perseverance.
“Everyone might want to be on stage singing, connecting with people, but you have to take the leap,” Perkins said. “It takes a lot of work to be a renowned musician, and I'm willing to do the work. Same thing with being an infantry officer. You have to show up every day because you have 40 Marines depending on you. You can’t wait for things to happen, you have to seize the moment.”
At the intersection of military service and music, Perkins finds overlap. Since arriving at Marine Barracks Washington, he has found the “Oldest Post of the Corps” to be supportive of his growth within the country music scene. Surrounded by Marines who value tradition and performance, Perkins has been able to pursue his passion while continuing to lead. For him, this chapter represents a natural blend of service and creativity.
“The culture here is really positive. The focus is on the mission and the Marine Corps, which I value, and I think we align a lot of our beliefs with that mission, being at the face of the Marine Corps and 250 years of history. It’s up to us to write the future,” Perkins said.
| Date Taken: | 07.21.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.21.2025 18:20 |
| Story ID: | 543436 |
| Location: | WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
| Hometown: | BARRINGTON, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 118 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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