Photo By Daniel Rachal | Dr. Jared Adams takes the oath of office from Captain Jill Richards at a ceremony in...... read more read more
“The mountains are calling and I must go.” – John Muir.
Dr. Jared Adams has always lived a life of purpose. He will tell you that when he sets out to do something, it gets done. At the young age of 12, he wanted to be a dentist. Now, he owns a practice in Bend, Oregon. Adams ended up in Bend because, on his first visit to the central Oregon town during a high school camping trip, he told friends it was like a little piece of heaven and that he was going to live there one day.
Adams attended high school in Spokane, Washington and ended up marrying his high school sweetheart. After graduating from Gonzaga University, he fulfilled that 12-year-old prophecy of becoming a dentist by graduating from Loma Linda University School of Dentistry in southern California. Following graduation, with an offer from two dentists he met while in dental school, they packed up the family and moved to Anchorage, Alaska for three years.
That is where he first got the idea of serving his country. Only, it was the Alaska Air National Guard that Adams was trying to join, not the Navy. He was through the initial application process and completed the Military Entrance Processing Station only to then learn that he was not going to be able to serve in the National Guard. While the details are a bit confusing, Adams learned that he would have to serve down in Bremerton, Washington due to there not being a billet available for a dentist in Alaska. That was a deal-breaker, but he took it in stride.
“When it came to serving my country, I thought ‘well, it looks like I may have missed my shot,’” he said. “But if it’s not meant to be it’s not meant to be.”
“Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing.” – Barry Finlay
Dr. Adams had ascended the mountain professionally. He ran a successful dental practice in his ‘little piece of heaven.’ Personally, he married his high school sweetheart, had two beautiful children, family vacations and a full life. Yet, when it came to serving his country, he was at the bottom, looking up at a summit he may never reach.
Then there was a phone call.
Dr. Adams took the initial phone call from Navy Chief Counselor Hans Davis, hung up the phone and thought ‘seriously?’ It was unexpected but an opportunity worth exploring, because he still had that itch to serve and share from his years in private practice. The attitude he had after his initial attempt to join the Air Force National Guard was that if something was not meant to be, then it was not meant to be, and you just keep moving forward. But now, perhaps serving his country was meant to be after all. The meetings and conversations between NCC Davis and Dr. Adams were always cordial, smooth and easy, with no pressure. He was able to think about what this would mean for his family, the life he built in Bend and his private practice. In the end, though, there was a new mountain to climb, and he could not pass it up.
“I was like, this is my shot now,” he said. “Professionally I feel like I’ve climbed as many mountains as I possibly can. It doesn’t make sense for me to leave Bend and go somewhere else not even knowing where, but if I can serve my country and serve people who are defending our freedom, count me in.”
The family took a trip to the Oregon coast, in part to discuss such a significant life change. Adams stood on Cannon Beach, watching the waves come in and go out, thinking about life and how predictable – and unpredictable – things are in the world. While some things are unpredictable, he sees the Navy as a solid foundation and, much like the waves at Cannon Beach, it will always be there. Out in the distance, Adams knows there is a world of opportunity. His Navy journey is now the next mountain to climb.
| Date Taken: | 07.01.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 07.01.2026 17:49 |
| Story ID: | 569207 |
| Location: | BEND, OREGON, US |
| Web Views: | 16 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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