Green Beret Becomes 21st Florida Lt. Governor

By James Bullinger

Retired Army 1st Sgt. Jarrid “Jay” Collins is a highly decorated Special Forces combat-wounded veteran who served his country for over 23 years. Born in 1978 in Scobey, Montana, Collins enlisted in 1995 after high school. He served as an 18D medical specialist during his career, with service in the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, the Special Warfare Medical Group (Airborne), and with the 7th and 1st Special Forces Group (Abn). His deployments as a medic include Afghanistan, Iraq, and twice to South America.

During his 2007 Afghanistan deployment, he was shot in the arm and helped perform surgery on himself in the field. A few months later, he sustained additional injuries that would eventually lead to the amputation of his left leg later in 2012. Following his lower leg amputation, Collins re-qualified as a fully deployable special forces operator, going on to serve for five more years on active duty. He retired in 2018 from his final assignment as the First Sergeant of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the Special Warfare Medical Group (Abn) at Fort Bragg, NC.

Collins’s awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Soldier’s Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and Meritorious Service Medal, along with the Combat Infantryman Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Military Freefall Parachutist Badge, Special Forces Tab, and numerous other unit and service awards. He is the 2017 recipient of the Maj. Gen. John K. Singlaub/Jedburgh Award, presented by the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.

After retirement, Collins took a position with Operation BBQ Relief, overseeing the distribution of millions of meals to Americans following natural disasters and helping veterans and their families by creating culinary delights together. Through his nonprofit work across the country, Collins heard the concerns of many Americans—people who agree that they want their families to succeed, their children to have better lives than they did, and to improve the quality of life in their communities.

In 2022, Collins decided to enter public service by running for state senator in Florida’s Senate District 14.

During his tenure as a senator, he distinguished himself as the chairman of the Agricultural and Transportation Committees, championing infrastructure initiatives vital to Florida’s economic connections across tourism and agriculture. He also supported the state’s farming industry by banning cultivated meats and protecting farmlands from criminal intent. He authored and passed over 55 pieces of legislation and secured more than $120 million in funding to uplift the Tampa Bay region, support first responders and veterans, and invest in educational institutions. Collin’s record of results and vision for the state led Governor Ron DeSantis to appoint him in August 2025 as the 21st Lieutenant Governor of the State of Florida. This makes Florida the only state that has two military veterans serving as governor and lieutenant governor.

A committed family man, Collins is married to his wife Layla of more than 25 years, who is also a retired 20-year veteran. They have two sons and reside in the Tampa area.

About the Author:

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Bullinger, a 29-year U.S. Army veteran and member of the Special Forces Association Chapter 88, serves on the Board of the U.S. Army Aviation Museum Foundation and shares his outdoor pursuits on his YouTube channel, Bama Hiker.