John was lost on July 3, 2020, in a drowning accident in Annapolis’ Spa Creek. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 2010 with a degree in Ocean Engineering and a minor in Russian. He commissioned as a submariner, first serving as a chief engineer qualified nuclear submarine officer onboard the USS Louisville (SSN 724), and subsequently as an assistant professor of Naval Science at Auburn University. Following this assignment, he headed to the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences to fulfill his dream of serving as a Navy doctor. He planned to pursue a career in family medicine and was set to graduate medical school in 2021.

For every ENS John Grider bracelet sold, $10 will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project.