Robert R. Jones (born September 7, 1985) is an American farmer, Marine Corps veteran, motivational speaker, Paralympic athlete, and politician. In 2010, while serving in Afghanistan, he was severely wounded in action by an

improvised explosive device An improvised explosive device (IED) is a bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional warfare, conventional military action. It may be constructed of conventional military explosives, such as an artillery shell, attached t ...

where he lost both legs above the knee. Jones made headlines when he completed 31 consecutive

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There ...

s in 31 days while raising money for veterans. Between 2013 and 2014, he cycled nearly 5,200 miles across the United States in order to raise awareness for wounded veterans.Williams, Kari, "A Month of Marathons Raises Awareness", ''VFW Magazine'', vol. 105, no. 5, February 2018, pp. 15–16. He also won a bronze medal with

Oksana Masters Oksana Oleksandrivna Masters (born June 19, 1989) is an American multi-sport Paralympic athlete from Louisville, Kentucky. Having primarily specialized in rowing and cross-country skiing, she won the first ever United States medal in trunk and ...

in mixed double sculls (rowing) at the

2012 Summer Paralympics The 2012 Summer Paralympics, branded as the London 2012 Paralympic Games, were an international Multi-sport event, multi-sport parasports event held from 29 August to 9 September 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. They were the 14th Sum ...

. He was a candidate for the Republican nomination in

Virginia's 10th congressional district Virginia's 10th congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Situated in the suburbs and exurbs of Northern Virginia, the district includes the entireties of Loudoun, Fauquier, and Rappahannock c ...

for the

2020 elections The following elections were scheduled to occur in 2020. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems maintains a comprehensive list of upcoming elections on its E-Guide Platform. The National Democratic Institute also maintains a calend ...

, losing in the Republican primary to Aliscia Andrews.

Early life

In 2003, Jones graduated from

Loudoun Valley High School Loudoun Valley High School (more commonly known as Valley) is a public secondary school in Purcellville, Virginia. It is part of Loudoun County Public Schools. Before the opening of Woodgrove High School in 2010, it was the sole high school for t ...

Purcellville, Virginia Purcellville is a town in Loudoun County, Virginia, Loudoun County, Virginia. The population was 8,929 according to the 2020 census. Purcellville is the major population center for Western Loudoun and the Loudoun Valley. Many of the older struct ...

. While he participated in football and wrestling during his freshman and sophomore years, respectively, he was not a star athlete in high school. He joined

United States Marine Corps Reserve The Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES or MFR), also known as the United States Marine Corps Reserve (USMCR) and the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve, is the reserve force of the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Corps Reserve is an expedit ...

during his junior year at

Virginia Tech The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly referred to as Virginia Tech (VT), is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States ...

in 2006. It was in the Marine Corps that he found that running was "a natural fit for him." In 2007, Jones graduated with a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

(BA) degree in

Interdisciplinary Studies Interdisciplinarity or interdisciplinary studies involves the combination of multiple academic disciplines into one activity (e.g., a research project). It draws knowledge from several fields such as sociology, anthropology, psychology, economi ...

with minors in

astronomy Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and their overall evolution. Objects of interest includ ...

and

geology Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...

Marine Corps service

Jones was a

combat engineer A combat engineer (also called pioneer or sapper) is a type of soldier who performs military engineering tasks in support of land forces combat operations. Combat engineers perform a variety of military engineering, Tunnel warfare, tunnel and l ...

who served in

4th Combat Engineer Battalion The 4th Combat Engineer Battalion (4th CEB) is a combat engineer battalion of the United States Marine Corps Reserve. The headquarters is in Baltimore, Maryland and the Battalion has units in West Virginia, Alabama, Virginia, and Tennessee. They ...

. He was attached to

2nd Battalion, 24th Marines 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines (2/24) is a reserve infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Chicago, Illinois, consisting of approximately 1000 Marines and Sailors. The battalion falls under the 23rd Marine Regiment (Unit ...

in 2008 during the

Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...

and

3rd Battalion, 7th Marines The 3rd Battalion 7th Marine Regiment (3/7, V37) is an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. They are based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms and consist of approximately 800 Marines. The battalion fa ...

in 2010 during the

War in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC), the conquest of Afghanistan by the Macedonian Empire * Muslim conquests of Afghanistan, a series of campaigns in ...

. Jones was wounded in action by an

on July 22, 2010, in

Sangin Sangin () is a town in Helmand province of Afghanistan, with a population of approximately 20,000 people. It is located on in the valley of the Helmand River at altitude, to the north-east of Lashkargah. Sangin is notorious as one of the cent ...

, Afghanistan. He was evacuated to

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC; formerly known as the National Naval Medical Center and colloquially referred to as Bethesda Naval Hospital, Walter Reed, or Navy Med) is a United States military medical center located in B ...

Bethesda, Maryland Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. Located just northwest of Washington, D.C., it is a major business and government center of the Washington metropolitan region ...

a couple of days following the incident. As a result of the explosion, Jones lost both of his legs above the knee. He received the

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the president to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

. Jones was discharged from the Marines as a sergeant in December 2011.

Political career

On July 22, 2019, nine years to the day of the military action that cost him his legs, Jones announced that he was running for the Republican nomination for the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

, challenging Democratic first-term incumbent

Jennifer Wexton Jennifer Lynn Wexton (née Tosini, May 27, 1968) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the United States representative for Virginia's 10th congressional district from 2019 to 2025. A Democrat, Wexton was a member of the Virginia ...

. Jones lost in the Republican primary to fellow Marine Corps veteran Aliscia Andrews.

Personal life

Jones resides with his wife on a farm outside of

Middleburg, Virginia Middleburg is a town in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 673 as of the 2010 census. It is the southernmost town along Loudoun County's shared border with Fauquier County. Middleburg is known as the "Nation's Horse ...

. They manage their farm together where they grow vegetables.

References

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Rob 1985 births Living people American male cyclists American male marathon runners American male rowers United States Marine Corps personnel of the Iraq War United States Marine Corps personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) American military engineers Military personnel from Virginia People from Lovettsville, Virginia Sportspeople from Loudoun County, Virginia Rowers at the 2012 Summer Paralympics United States Marine Corps reservists Virginia Tech alumni Engineers from Virginia Virginia Republicans Candidates in the 2020 United States House of Representatives elections Farmers from Virginia United States Marine Corps non-commissioned officers 21st-century American sportsmen