Jax Taylor definitely found his true calling when he got his job as the promiscuous and punch-worthy drink-slinging star of Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules. Prior to becoming a Bravolebrity, however, Jax struggled to find a successful career path. After spending a couple years in Miami, during which time he may or may not have been shacking up with a sugar daddy named John Walters, Jason Cauchi moved to Los Angeles, changed his name to Jax Taylor, and began his attempts to make it as a professional model and/or actor. All of this is pretty much well known, and has been explored in depth on the show.
One aspect of Jax’s history that hasn’t been explored in depth is his four years in the Navy, just prior to his time in Miami. Jax first mentioned his military history in an interview with Complex in 2016. Although the magazine had no direct quotes from Jax on his time in the Navy, they did provide this summary of his college and military years:
He went to Michigan State because that’s what you did if you didn’t get into Michigan or get a job straight away with the Big Three. He was too wild to last there. He dropped out and went to community college, didn’t last there either. He joined the Navy because he had nothing else, trained at a base in Virginia, and was eventually stationed in Kosovo during one of those periods when you don’t think of our forces having much to do overseas. He doesn’t really like to say much about it, only that it happened.
I did some research, and the only other information I could find on Jax’s Navy career is a VERY brief Q&A session he did with The Daily Dish in November of 2016 — eight months after his Complex interview. In the segment, which is titled “Jax Taylor Answers The Tough Questions…From Jax Taylor,” Jax says to himself: “Tell us more about your time in the Navy.”
Jax’s response:
I was in the Navy for four years, and I was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia on a aircraft carrier called the Roosevelt. I was a specialist. I drove, like, special forces around — Navy SEALs and stuff like that.
I was actually inspired to do this post after seeing a reddit post earlier today expressing astonishment over finding out that Jax was in the Navy and completed his four-year enlistment. In the post comments, a redditor claiming to be a Navy veteran who was stationed on an aircraft carrier had some serious doubts about the accuracy of Jax’s recollection:
Ok, as someone who was in the Navy and also stationed on an aircraft carrier, I’m calling bullsh*t…. He is clearly referring to SWCC which is a special forces rating and are attached to units without UIC’s (Unit Identification Codes)… Aircraft carriers like the one he said he was stationed on (and any ship in navy) all have UICs. Also, specialist isn’t a rating or even a rank identifier in the navy. It is in the army and marine corps, but NOT navy. He probably had some bullsh*t supply job and didn’t even make it 3rd class before getting out.
Hmmmmm… Jax fibbing? Uh, I doubt that VERY much! 😉 I don’t know a lot about the military (at all), but it did seem odd that Jax says he was stationed on an aircraft carrier and in Kosovo, which is a land-locked country? I found a lot of information about the USS Theodore Roosevelt providing air support for attacks in Kosovo, so perhaps that would qualify as being “stationed in Kosovo?”
I don’t think it takes much of a conspiratorial mindset to suspect that something suspicious is going on here. For someone like Jax, who is constantly having his character called into question due to his antics on the show, you would think that having served four years in the Navy would be something that he would bring up every other episode at least! It seems really odd that he has been almost completely silent about those years. Even the Bravo.com slideshow of Jax Taylor throwback photos has nothing from his time in the Navy, when a photo of Jax in a Navy uniform would have been a PERFECT addition to that visual narrative!
And speaking of Bravo’s slideshow of Jax Taylor throwback photos, it includes this image taken in March of 2003, according to the date stamp on the picture:
Jax’s hair in the photo is much longer than Navy regulations allow:
Hair shall be no longer than four inches and may not touch the ears, collar, extend below eyebrows when headgear is removed, show under front edge of headgear, or interfere with properly wearing military headgear.
It is clear that Jax’s hair is touching his ear and extends well below his eyebrows. I would assume that Jax would have needed to be out of the Navy at least a couple of months prior to this photo being taken. So, that means the timeline is:
1998 – Jax graduates high school
1998 – ??? – Jax attends Michigan State and drops out
???? – Jax attends community college and drops out
Some time before February, 1999 – Enlists in the Navy
Some time before February, 2003 – Jax completes 4-year enlistment
That is a VERY tight timeline!
I did some internet deep diving and could come up with absolutely nothing specific on Jax’s time in the Navy other that what he revealed in 2016. So, if there are any other internet sleuths out there looking for a challenge, this seems like a great one! If you find anything, just let me know using the contact info below.
Asa Hawks is a writer and editor for Starcasm. You can contact Asa via Twitter, Facebook, or email at starcasmtips(at)yahoo.com
