PORT ANGELES — Fifteen-year-old Maverick Jennings always seems to be a newcomer to his community.
Like millions of “military brats” before him, he’s moved every three or four years, always starting over, making new friends and leaving the old.
And since moving to Port Angeles in June, Maverick has frequently had to be the man of the house, helping take care of his family when his father, U.S. Coast Guard Master Chief Mike Jennings, is deployed or away for training, which can add up to nearly half of the year, the senior Jennings said.
But now the quiet young man’s maturity and personal achievement are being recognized in a big way.
From more than 1,000 children and teens nominated for “Military Child of the Year,” an Operation Homefront program that honors military families, Maverick was selected as one of five finalists to represent the U.S. Coast Guard.
On Thursday, he learned he hadn’t been chosen the winner.
But making top five is just fine as far as he and his family are concerned.
“It means a lot to me that I was selected to be among the people they recognize as the best,” Maverick said. “To claim the title of top five is still amazing.”
Maverick’s mother has a serious medical condition that leaves her tired and unable to do much on the physical side of things, so when her husband is away, the bulk of the household duties are left to Maverick, who is responsible not only for preparing family meals but virtually all other chores. And this is in addition to completing his homework and putting in volunteer hours.
Maverick doesn’t skimp on the coursework, taking three honors classes at the high school.
“He’s way past anything I can help him with,” his father said.
The senior Jennings is the officer in charge of the USCG Cutter Adelie, an 87-foot patrol boat stationed at Air Station/Sector Field Office Port Angeles.
The cutter’s mission takes Mike Jennings away from home two to four days a week, 26 weeks a year. He was recently stationed in Seattle for four months during a major repair to the Adelie, leaving Maverick home with his mother and younger sister.
But taking on family responsibilities hasn’t slowed down the 15-year-old.
“He has a tornado of a week,” Jennings said, referring to his son’s activity-packed schedule.
In addition to taking on additional responsibilities at home, Maverick earned the credentials to become an Eagle Scout at age 14. He plays trumpet in the Port Angeles High School marching and concert bands, and is a member of the Roughrider Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps air rifle and drill teams.
At the family’s last home in Texas, he lettered as a freshman in sports medicine, and put in more than 300 volunteer hours at a community theater and in other activities.
How does he do it?
“Work ethic and focus,” his dad said.
That attitude has earned respect from Mike Jennings, who recognized his son’s maturity by awarding him a major privilege and responsibility — choosing the family’s next set of orders.
“This is Maverick’s tour,” Mike said.
Maverick knew he would graduate from high school during his father’s next tour of duty, so when it was time to see what orders were available, they looked into each possibility, and Maverick chose Port Angeles.
“It has the mountains and the NJROTC program,” Maverick said.
Maverick is planning on a military career of his own, hoping to attend either the U.S. Coast Guard Academy to become a helicopter pilot, or the U.S. Air Force Academy to work in cryptography.
If that doesn’t work out, Maverick said he wants to major in sports medicine at a Texas university.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
