Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins was raised and adopted by his grandparents on a small, family farm where he learned the value of hard work and responsibility. This instilled in Jay life lessons like perseverance and strength under pressure that would later propel him to serve our great nation in some of the toughest fights.

When 9/11 happened, Jay was attending Airborne School. He knew then that he needed to step up and take the fight to our enemy. Hearing about heroes in the Special Forces and the role they were playing in the fight on terror, Jay quickly signed up for Special Forces Assessment and Selection. This marked the beginning of his commitment to service.

After becoming a Green Beret, Collins deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, and South America. During his 2007 deployment to Afghanistan, Jay was shot in the arm, but continued to fight and later performed surgery on himself in the midst of a firefight. He stayed in country and fought again just thirty days later.

Shortly after, he sustained injuries that would lead to the loss of his leg years later. Despite chronic pain, Jay continued to serve and was selected to the United States Army Special Operations Command. When the injury required amputation, he did not let that end his career.

Following the amputation, Jay requalified as a fully deployable Green Beret and served five more years on active duty — a testament to his determination and natural ability to lead and overcome the toughest of challenges.

Jay and his wife Layla have been married for over 25 years. They have two children together, Gabe and Colt. Layla is a retired veteran with over 20 years of service.

As long-time Floridians, Jay and Layla want the best and brightest future for the next generation — that's why they've committed their lives to serving their country and state.