Will County's Jordan Broadway Gets Prestigious Air Force Award

On Veterans Day, one Joliet-area family with a long and proud military record of service has special reason to celebrate. That's because Jordan Broadway, a Joliet native and 2010 graduate of Lockport East, recently received the Air Force's Academic Achievement Award at his Air Force graduation ceremony held in Wichita Falls, Texas. It was a great accomplishment. Only three awards were given at the ceremony, said his proud uncle Steve Broadway of Joliet.

Jordan's older sister also proudly served in the Air Force and nowadays she works in Aurora as an air traffic controller. Jordan's late father, Jesse Broadway Jr., was an Army veteran who was active in volunteering at Belmont Little League baseball.

On Friday, Joliet Patch spoke with Jordan's mother, Beverly, who works for the Joliet Township High School District 204 at the alternative high school. She said her son has been in the Air Force about six-and-a-half years and will be officially discharged in about six months. Before being stationed in Texas, Jordan was overseas in Germany, she said.

Jordan Broadway also hopes to become an air traffic controller, she said.

For him to receive the Air Force's Academic Achievement Award is truly an honor, his mother said. "He had the highest overall average in his class," Beverly Broadway told Patch. "He's a brainy kid. He's very smart."

Since joining the Air Force, Jordan Broadway has gotten married and now has a daughter. His family back in the Joliet area has a great sense of satisfaction on Veterans Day.

Commented his uncle Steve Broadway of Joliet, The "family is very proud of him ... My brother and my dad were veterans. A blessing to see him being all that he can be and more!"

Main image: Jordan Broadway and his wife; images via Steve Broadway