Jas Boothe
American Dream U Advisor
Major Jas Boothe is an Author, Entrepreneur, Disabled Army Veteran, Cancer Survivor, Innovator, Philanthropist, and Speaker who gave 16 years of service to this great nation.
Jas Founded Final Salute Inc. in November 2010 as part of her commitment to “Never Leave a Fallen Comrade”.
She deployed during the Operation Iraq Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom campaigns and her military career was dedicated to working with and advocating for Soldiers and their family members. In 2005, she was a single parent in the Army Reserves living in New Orleans. That spring, she learned she would soon be deploying to Iraq. During her mobilization, Boothe’s life was torn apart by two significant events. In August she lost everything she owned due to Hurricane Katrina. She tried to shift her focus to her platoon that was counting on her for leadership in a combat zone. The very next month in September, she received a devastating diagnosis of an aggressive head, neck, and throat cancer, and was now unable to deploy.
Boothe’s options were limited and posed some very hard choices for her. Because of her illness, she had to discharge from the military. But she needed complex full-time medical care, employment, and a place to live with her young son. When searching for what assistance might be available, she was told there were no existing programs for women Veterans with children and that she should explore welfare and social services as an option, just like every other single mother with an illegitimate child. Jas then realized that America had forgotten about the women who have served, fought, bled and died alongside their brothers. She found these options unacceptable for a woman who had honorably served her country. After extensive cancer treatment, including radiation therapy that left life-long side effects, at Brooke Army Medical Center, she was allowed to stay in the Reserves and immediately began looking for full-time employment and a place for her and her son to live.
In 2006, she relocated to Missouri with her aunt, where she subsequently accepted a job offer from the Army National Guard. Later in the year, she received an opportunity to return to full-time duty in Washington, DC. Boothe never forgot what she and her son had been through and was determined to ensure her fellow sister Veterans had a resource in their time of need. She also wanted to ensure they were treated with the dignity and respect earned they had earned under extremely severe circumstances.
Final Salute has raised over 1 million dollars to support homeless women Veterans and their children, provided over 10,000 days of housing and assisted over 2000 women Veterans and children in over 30 States and Territories.
Boothe also founded the Ms Veteran America competition, honoring the women beyond the uniform and highlighting the service and sacrifice of every women that has worn the U.S. military uniform.
In 2015, Jas wrote her first book “The Princess and the Pedophile”, a memoir about struggling and succeeding as a young girl who was molested. She also launched Prowess, the nation’s first all veteran modeling agency.
Boothe holds dual MAs in Human Resource Management and Management and Leadership from Webster University. She also holds a BA in Mass Communications from Mississippi Valley State University.
Jas also is an in-demand speaker and member of the Women Veterans Speaker Bureau. She also serves as a speaker and Advisory Board Member of American Dream University, supporting transitioning service members, veterans and their families.
Jas is the mother of two wonderful boys, Brandon (currently serving in the United States Air Force) and Jammel Jr. She is also the wife of former Marine Combat Veteran, Jammel R. Boothe Sr.
Here a few of the awards she has received for her leadership and community impact: Oprah Winfrey Standing Ovation Recipient, American Veteran’s Center Lillian K. Kiel Award, People Magazine Hero, CNN Hero, Live with Kelly and Michael Unstoppable Mom, Department of Defense Spirit of Hope Award Recipient, YWCA Woman of Distinction, First Lady of Virginia’s FLITE Award – Opportunity Hall of Fame Inductee, Influential Woman Of the Year – Virginia Lawyer’s Media, and Woman of the Year (non-profit/government) – Stevie Awards for Women in Business.