Losing 51 pounds was tough. Risking his perfect voting record in Annapolis and saying goodbye to his wife may be tougher. But the hardest sacrifice Maryland Delegate J.B. Jennings will make when he heads to boot camp next month? Giving up his cows.
“It was very emotional, making that decision,” said Jennings, a Republican who represents Harford and Baltimore counties. “Most of the cattle I’ve had for years. I’ve known them since they were calves.”
At 34, Jennings is one of the General Assembly’s youngest members, but will be one of the oldest Air National Guard recruits at basic training in San Antonio, Texas come September. Jennings is scratching a lifelong itch to serve in the military, just making the Guard’s cutoff age of 35 to enlist.
After graduating from the University of Baltimore, Jennings said he became preoccupied with running a feed store and cattle farm, then running for office in 2002.
But in 2006, Jennings and his wife, Michelle, sold the majority share of the company and in April 2007, he met with a military recruiter.
With more time to spare, it turns out, Jennings still had too much on his plate.
“He needed to get in shape,” said Sgt. Mark Prorock, an Air Guard recruiter. “A lot of times people say, ‘Yeah, I’ll lose it,’ and you never hear from them again.”
Jennings said he traded elevators for stairs in Annapolis, nixed sodas, and for the first time in his life, ate salads. Fourteen months later, he had shed 51 pounds.
“He was like a whole new person,” Prorock said. “It was awesome.”
After six and a half weeks in boot camp, Jennings said he will return for training for his new position loading cargo planes at the Warfield Air National Guard base in Middle River. Jennings said he is unlikely to get deployed, but is ready if necessary.
In the meantime, his colleagues said they expect him to continue his perfect voting streak.
“J.B. has always managed to do several different things at once and do them all,” said Delegate Susan McComas, who chairs the Harford County delegation. “I think he can do good service in both positions, and I continue to expect him to pull his weight.”
As for his cows, Jennings has found homes for all but two, which he plans to keep. One is named after former Gov. Robert Ehrlich’s father — “Senior” — who watched Jennings deliver the animal. The other is Senior’s best friend, Glow.
Jennings said he hopes to rebuild his cattle stock, but said, for now, his country needs him more than his cows.
“It was this year or never and this was a long time in the making.”
