At 17, Jeret Howard raised his right hand to serve his country as a United States Army combat medic in Iraq. This past summer, he raised his right hand again at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
Hired as a civil servant under the agency’s workforce directive to restore core competencies by converting contractors to civil service, Howard’s transition from long-time contractor to logistics management specialist represents a continuation of a life dedicated to national service.
He has worked for more than 15 years at America’s largest rocket propulsion test site as a mechanical technician, turning wrenches and building test stand infrastructure as a contractor. Now, he steps into a NASA role that carries deep personal meaning.
“It is absolutely a continuation of service,” said Howard. “It is a point of pride to go from being a 17-year-old just wanting to serve your country to coming full circle like this, hoping to one day retire from NASA.”
As a logistics management specialist, Howard’s job is to secure necessary hardware and components for propulsion testing. He relies on years of technical experience to anticipate the needs of the engineering team. As he secures essential materials, Howard ensures taxpayer dollars are wisely spent.
Howard’s expertise is not confined to a desk as he actively works alongside new technicians and supports testing across multiple areas, including the build up to support Blue Origin’s testing at NASA Stennis.
“Mechanical work is a challenge,” said Howard. “Everything is a puzzle. Even when it seems like it is going to be monotonous, there is always something new that comes up. It is a skill, and once you do it so much over the years and get really good at it, you do not want to waste it.”
Howard’s motivation for public service is rooted in his home. A resident of Kiln, Mississippi, Howard views his career as a chance to lead by example and make his family proud.
“My little girl can look at me, be proud, and know she can do anything,” said Howard.
This resonates just as strongly with his teenage son, who dreams of one day becoming a NASA engineer. Even as his son navigates physical challenges, the family’s focus is entirely on his limitless potential.
“We push him to not think about what he cannot do, but to focus on how much he can do,” said Howard.
The family balances drive with a “work hard, play hard” lifestyle by spending their free time riding dirt bikes and taking their boat out on the water.
The hard work is paying off at a time in history when NASA is returning humans to the Moon through the Artemis program and building a Moon Base as humanity’s first lunar outpost where astronauts will live, work, and explore near the Moon’s South Pole.
The future of spaceflight is a shared family passion for the Howards.
When the Artemis II mission launched last April, the family set up a large tablet outside next to their boat, using its heavy-duty sound system to amplify the broadcast.
“My daughter could feel the bass of the launch,” said Howard. “I got chills.”
As Howard’s work supports NASA and the commercial companies conducting propulsion test work at Stennis, the family is already anticipating the launch of Artemis III, a mission intended to demonstrate integrated operations before Artemis IV returns astronauts to the lunar surface.
Howard’s transition to a civil servant means he has a direct role with NASA. His work contributes to securing American leadership in space today, while inspiring the next generation of engineers, such as his son, into the future.
For more information about NASA’s Stennis Space Center, visit: www.nasa.gov/stennis
Source: NASA