A Life in Service: The Love Story of Chandele and Jason Hilker

McCOOK Neb. — When you meet Jason and Chandele Hilker, you can tell right away they’ve been through a lot together — and not just the usual life stuff. Both served 20 years in the Marine Corps, raised kids through deployments, and somehow managed to retire still married, still laughing, and now finally settled here in McCook.

It’s not common to meet a couple who both wore the uniform, especially for that long. Jason said it best:

“You’ll see dual veterans, but you’ll rarely see dual retired. It’s hard to stay married through all that.”

Between them, they have seven kids — four born while Chandele was still active duty, and one surprise baby who came along after retirement. “We were done having kids,” Jason said, shaking his head with a grin. “Then God laughed.”

Chandele just smiled. “I gave up a lot of promotions to have kids,” she said. “But once my mouth opened, it was like, ‘we might want to listen to her.’”

That mix of strength and humor runs through everything they say.

From the Marines to McCook

Both joined the Marines for different reasons.

Chandele was 18 when her mom told her, “either pay bills or get out.” So she followed some friends to the recruiter’s office and signed up without even knowing what she was getting into.

Jason joined right after 9/11. He said he literally walked past every other branch, straight to the Marine Corps office, and told the recruiter, “Give me the paperwork.”

They eventually met while both were instructors Jason worked in Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), what he jokingly calls the “technical combat nerds,” and Chandele was an imagery analyst, studying satellite and drone footage.

Jason says he first noticed how professional she was. “She was never the type to say, ‘I’m a female, so go easy on me.’ She held everyone to the same standard, even me.”

They became friends first. But when Jason started talking about some of his combat experiences, he realized she wasn’t just listening, she understood. She’d been deployed in nearby areas, working her own dangerous missions.

“It was kind of like our storylines just intertwined,” Chandele said.

Choosing McCook on Purpose

After years of deployments, moving, and parenting through it all, the Hilkers retired and landed in North Carolina. But when Jason’s back problems worsened and they had a newborn at home — their “bonus baby,” as they call her — they realized how far they were from family.

Last year they came to visit McCook — and that visit changed everything.

“Just being here with family and seeing the support we needed,” Chandele said. “We wanted the kids in a small town, with that close-knit feeling.”

They went home, sold their house, and moved here. Now they’re in a cozy older home that, by coincidence, was built with concrete Jason’s grandpa hauled after returning from Korea. “That made it feel meant to be,” he said.

This Christmas will be extra special — all seven kids will be under one roof. “We can finally have the big Christmas tree and hang stockings on the beam,” Chandele said with a smile. “That’s something we haven’t had in years.”

On Veterans Day

Even in retirement, the Hilkers haven’t exactly slowed down. Jason now works in government contracting, and Chandele is finishing her degree in cybersecurity and geographic information systems. They both admit that staying busy is part of who they are , a leftover rhythm from two decades of military life.

“The hardest part is trying to relax,” Chandele said. “We’re both used to always having something to do.”

When I asked how they respond when people say, “Thank you for your service,” Jason smiled.

“I got paid to do really cool stuff and travel the world,” he said. “It was our pleasure to do it.”