Joshua Wheeldon

Supporting Local Veteran Community Through Connection

Navigating life after the military can be challenging, but through building community, Veterans like Joshua Wheeldon have found hope and support when and where it’s needed most.

Wheeldon served in the U.S. Army as a military police officer from 2004 to 2009. From 2007 to 2008, he was deployed to Operation Iraq Freedom in the Al Anbar Province. Coming from a family with a long history of military service, he enlisted to honor that legacy while also earning money for college.

In 2010, the Puyallup resident began his educational journey at Highline College before pausing his studies to once again serve his country, this time as a civilian contractor in Afghanistan. He deployed for a year to Forward Operating Base (FOB) Joyce in Kunar Province, one of the country’s most active combat areas at the time. His work focused on protecting U.S. and coalition forces by detecting and responding to incoming rocket and mortar attacks. He resumed his studies at Highline College in 2012, working toward his transfer degree.

As he adjusted to college life after leaving the military, Wheeldon found encouragement in the faculty and staff who helped him navigate the transition. He credits faculty member Anthony Newton for making an immediate impact through, “the way he welcomed me to the campus post military service,” Wheeldon said. It was also the mindset and discipline Wheeldon gained from his time in the military that gave him an unwavering perseverance to succeed in the classroom.

At Highline, he forged lasting connections within the Veteran community and met Joshua Penner, who was then a Highline College TRIO staff member, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, former mayor of Orting, Washington, and now represents the 31st legislative district in the House of Representatives. Their shared commitment to supporting Veterans helped lay the foundation for what would become Pacific Northwest Veterans (PNWVets), a volunteer-driven community group connecting Veterans, military families, and civilians across the Pacific Northwest. Wheeldon would become a co-founder of PNWVets alongside Penner.

As Wheeldon describes it, the purpose of PNWVets is to “honor the fallen and support the currently serving by building spaces for remembrance, service and connection.” Those spaces include an active Facebook group of nearly 19,000 members and several well-attended networking events, memorial initiatives and service projects held throughout the year. Current Highline College faculty and staff remain closely connected to the organization. Among them is Veteran Services Program Specialist, Kendall Evans, who, Wheeldon said, “continues to support and engage with our community often.

In addition, PNWVETS intentionally breaks away from the traditional model of a Veterans organization. There are no membership dues, formal meetings, or Robert’s Rules of Order. As Wheeldon put it, “We don’t ask people to prove they belong before they’re welcomed.”

Wheeldon began working toward an associate direct transfer degree at Highline before transferring to DeVry University. There, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management. He later went on to earn a Master of Public Administration (MPA) with a concentration in government policy from Grand Canyon University. He pursued his educational path with a clear purpose: to better protect and improve benefits for Veterans and their families. “Effective advocacy requires more than passion, it requires knowledge of how legislation is developed and how policy is influenced at the local, state, and federal levels.” Wheeldon said.

Now, Wheeldon works with the Army Recovery Care Program at Madigan Army Medical Center, located on Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM). Here, he spends time supporting and preparing wounded, ill, or injured soldiers, Veterans and their families through their recovery and transition process.

Looking ahead, he plans to continue growing PNWVets through authentic relationships among Veterans and supporters and advocate for legislation that protects and expands benefits for service members, Veterans, and their families.>

As he reflects on his own journey from student Veteran to advocate and public servant, Wheeldon offers one final piece of advice for current student Veterans, “Continue to expand your network because you will never know when the next person you meet might change your life.

Learn more about Highline's Veteran Services Learn more about PNWVets Mission