Salute to Veterans: Veteran Ladner carries military family mindset into law enforcement career

Lt. Jason Ladner's military career ended four and a half years ago, but he carries his soldier's mindset to work every day as the leader of Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Office jail division.

Ladner served for nearly 13 years in the U.S. Army Reserve, primarily as a medic. He deployed to Iraq for nearly 18 months in 2008 and 2009 with the 955th Engineer Co. based at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He also served with the 325th Combat Support Hospital based in Independence, Missouri.

His Iraq deployment took him to Sadr City, a suburb of Baghdad. The time there led him to develop a sense of mission and teamwork.

"You have a mission, and you have to be there for each other," he explained. "There was a bunch of guys who left with me, and we call came home. That's a big deal."

Ladner, a sergeant in the Reserve, said the bonds forged among troops are strong and do not recognize time.

"I have friends I might not see for four or five years at a time, but when we do see each other, you just pick back up. For those who understand, no words are needed, and for those who don't understand, there are no words," he said.

Detailing difficult conditions in a combat zone, Ladner contended supporting fellow troops is key.

"The guy next to me — the man to my left and the man to my right — are the most important thing. You keep him going, and he keeps you going, and that's all there is," he noted.

Such relationships become building blocks for a mindset that carries beyond the military.

"When you are part of that, it is so much more than a job or a career, it's a lifestyle," he explained. "It's not for everybody, but those of us who feel that lifestyle, it's ingrained. It becomes who we are to give and to give and to give because that's how we're built. If you're not giving, you're not being you."

As leader of the sheriff's jail division, Ladner said he has tried to build up the "unsung heroes" of the department. He said he embraced the position because he wanted the staff to have a leader who cares about them professionally and personally. He likened the jail staff to a military unit with a new mission each day.

"I was fortunate in my military career to have some very good leadership. ... I have been able to use those skills and instill some of those skills in law enforcement," he said. "When I came in, I brought that military family mindset. For me, the most rewarding thing is to see guys come in and really building themselves up and not only succeed at their job but be successful at their life."

Of all the lessons he gleaned during his military career, Ladner said one stands alone.

"The biggest thing you learn in the military is you can't do it by yourself. You really have to build that team."