JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii – James H. “JayBird” Price III has served his country for decades and was recently recognized for more than 35 years of continuous service to his country by Rear Adm. Stephen Barnett, commander, Navy Region Hawaii (CNRH).

Price, CNRH’s current emergency management senior planner, said those with whom he works for and with – previously and currently – are his motivation to keep serving his country.

“It’s a pleasure to serve my country, people and organization,” said Price. “I am passionate about making my position, organization, and area of responsibility just a little bit better than how I found them.”

Price has wanted to serve his community for as long as he can remember. In 1987, the young native of Asheboro, North Carolina, decided he wanted to be a North Carolina state trooper. Although he was told he was too young, Price, did not give up. He took a trip to a U.S. Army recruiting station where a recruiter told him, “Hey, we will make you a military policeman today, just sign up and we will send you to Germany too!”

The 19-year-old Price enlisted and for the next 23 years conducted law enforcement as a U.S. Army military policeman. “I served all over the world doing everything from an investigator to a patrolman. I even got to be ‘McGruff the Crime Dog’ a few times!” he recalled.

In 2010, Price retired from active duty and joined the civil service as a U.S. Army anti-terrorism Officer in South Korea.

Price and his wife, Kyung, left Korea in 2016 for Hawaii, where Price continued working for the Army at Schofield Barracks and Fort Shafter until 2021 when “my Navy Ship came in and I joined the Navy Region Hawaii team as an emergency management specialist/planner,” Price said.

Price has received numerous awards and accolades from the commands he’s served over the years but emphasized that his greatest reward was to be part of a team.

“It’s a reward and blast to keep on being able to serve and be part of the team each day … working with all the great Sailors, Airmen, and civilians on a daily basis, who are on the great Navy Region Hawaii and Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam teams,” he added.

“All of us do this to better serve our commands, communities, and people who all live here in Hawaii.”