Posted on May 3, 2024
Any Reservists out there that ran for public office? What insights do you have about being a Reservist while in an elected public office?
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Going off DoDD 1344.10 I am under the impression I don't need to go about getting approval to run for office (local City Council). The moment I'm put on orders for 270+ days then that triggers all sorts of restriction and required approvals at the Service Secretary level. Next, I have to explicitly disclose any depiction of me in uniform does not imply endorsement from the Army. Finally, any depictions of me in uniform or military service connection cannot be the dominating projection of my campaign.
So if anyone else has run, and has other insights as it pertains to being a reservist while in an elected public office I'd be interested in hearing from you.
So if anyone else has run, and has other insights as it pertains to being a reservist while in an elected public office I'd be interested in hearing from you.
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Election 2024
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Election 2024 Elections
Posted 8 mo ago
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Lot's of reservists in public office, but, you have to get elected first, and politics is nasty. We had an A-10 pilot reservist run for LT Governor. The opposition bombarded the Air Force, DoD, etc. with complaints. Investigations were opened. The only thing her campaign stuff had was a picture of here in flight suit next to the A-10 with a disclaimer that there is no AF or other endorsement. Still the haters pressed forward. Top it off, she was in the first look Zone for O-4. Unfortunately, she had only heard urban myths about boards. Since I sat a number of boards, I counseled her to help allay the fear. Time passes and she didn't get past the primary but did get promoted. The guy that did ultimately become LT Gov was the chair of an ethics probe that censured her in the legislature. In politics, there are many who are always out to get you. Nobody is your friend.
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Those are important things to bear in mind.
DoDD 1344.10 calls out the nomination and campaign process explicitly. So it takes effect the moment I filed my candidate intention statement.
Any photo or military biographical information of mine is going to be displayed subordinat e to my civilian qualifications and below civilian pictures, and the pictures themselves will be smaller than civilian pictures and the count of military pictures will be less than other pictures).
I'll never make it to LTC (and I've checked all the boxes to get to MAJ). I will make MAJ sooner or later and later wont impact my retirement check (I'll max out pay scale TIG regardless and get 36 months in that pay grade anyway).
I've been consulted locally regarding the shenanigans.
Locally anyway, as it pertains to California political complaints appear to be unavoidable. To the point they are now useless. The state is so back logged it is taking 5 years to get through the complaints, and by then the election is over, and the politician likely is no longer in the contested office anyway. So unless something will result in jail time it's unlikely California will ever get past the initial notification letter of the complaint.
I cannot "stop" a complaint from being filed. I'll just have to ride it out, and file it under the category of "OK, so, now what?"
Conveniently, the incumbent is constantly late with their financial filings as it is. So I'm at the ready with that stuff.
DoDD 1344.10 calls out the nomination and campaign process explicitly. So it takes effect the moment I filed my candidate intention statement.
Any photo or military biographical information of mine is going to be displayed subordinat e to my civilian qualifications and below civilian pictures, and the pictures themselves will be smaller than civilian pictures and the count of military pictures will be less than other pictures).
I'll never make it to LTC (and I've checked all the boxes to get to MAJ). I will make MAJ sooner or later and later wont impact my retirement check (I'll max out pay scale TIG regardless and get 36 months in that pay grade anyway).
I've been consulted locally regarding the shenanigans.
Locally anyway, as it pertains to California political complaints appear to be unavoidable. To the point they are now useless. The state is so back logged it is taking 5 years to get through the complaints, and by then the election is over, and the politician likely is no longer in the contested office anyway. So unless something will result in jail time it's unlikely California will ever get past the initial notification letter of the complaint.
I cannot "stop" a complaint from being filed. I'll just have to ride it out, and file it under the category of "OK, so, now what?"
Conveniently, the incumbent is constantly late with their financial filings as it is. So I'm at the ready with that stuff.
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CPT (Join to see) - I have always wondered why anyone would subject themselves and their family to this level of scrutiny and harassment. No one I have ever helped could give me a reasonable answer.
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Those are the big items, but you should review the ethics guidelines* which further clarify DoDD 1344.10.
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* Reserve Component Ethics Issues - 14th Ethics Counselor Course Deskbook (October 2016) - https://dodsoco.ogc.osd.mil/Portals/102/reserve_ethics.pdf
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* Reserve Component Ethics Issues - 14th Ethics Counselor Course Deskbook (October 2016) - https://dodsoco.ogc.osd.mil/Portals/102/reserve_ethics.pdf
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In other words, one must not only be above reproach, but they must also appear to be above reproach?
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I haven't been a candidate, but I have assisted in a few reservist's campaigns. Some of the issues you mention are more problematic in theory than they are in action. I would examine the campaigns and service history of LTC Tulsi Gabbard. If she can sit in the House as a reservist I am sure that you can navigate the shoals of local office. I have also seen a large number of candidates with pictures of themselves in uniform. You do need to clearly state the "non-endorsement" phrase, especially if you are going to buck the system in your locale.
A final note, there are way too many blanks and "N/A" s in your history. I recognize the importance of OPSEC in politics, but it's getting a little late for you to put all your cards on the table.
A final note, there are way too many blanks and "N/A" s in your history. I recognize the importance of OPSEC in politics, but it's getting a little late for you to put all your cards on the table.
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I can be found on Linked In easily enough. As well, those with access to the DOD Global e-mail address book can find specifics as well.
In terms of campaigning timing, I cannot even start to collect signatures until 15-July in order to get on the ballot. I'm literally the furthest one along in the process for my respective council district.
In terms of disclosing information at various social media outlets (to include RallyPoint), I have to assume at some point it will be compromised. I presume RP has much less stringent protections of its information than just about all other venues, and that the nature of RP and the members here draws a particular interest to state actors to get their hands on that data.
What an intelligence score would it be if a global competitor got their hands on data of service members rank, current/past duty stations, and MOS's, and then was not only able to plug in the data of the nation's individual units, but the service members within those units.
At the very least I would hope that my particular billet in China's database of US units is simply blank and annotated as "unknown".
Somewhere out there is PFC who's security clearance was compromised by China from the Office of Personnel Management (to include mine, and everyone else's for that matter). It would only be prudent of China to follow the lives of every single one of those names, because someday, one of those PFC's 30 years from now is going to be a US Senator.
In terms of campaigning timing, I cannot even start to collect signatures until 15-July in order to get on the ballot. I'm literally the furthest one along in the process for my respective council district.
In terms of disclosing information at various social media outlets (to include RallyPoint), I have to assume at some point it will be compromised. I presume RP has much less stringent protections of its information than just about all other venues, and that the nature of RP and the members here draws a particular interest to state actors to get their hands on that data.
What an intelligence score would it be if a global competitor got their hands on data of service members rank, current/past duty stations, and MOS's, and then was not only able to plug in the data of the nation's individual units, but the service members within those units.
At the very least I would hope that my particular billet in China's database of US units is simply blank and annotated as "unknown".
Somewhere out there is PFC who's security clearance was compromised by China from the Office of Personnel Management (to include mine, and everyone else's for that matter). It would only be prudent of China to follow the lives of every single one of those names, because someday, one of those PFC's 30 years from now is going to be a US Senator.
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BTW, I took the hardest path to get a verified account here on RP. I submitted my promotion orders (scrubbed of personal information). So RP has my name, and rank, and an order number. They do not have my military e-mail.
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CPT (Join to see) - I discovered last night that "every" service member's information (whether active or not) is essentially complete on the dark web. I don't necessarily believe that the situation is as bleak as some predict, but it also isn't as good as I would have hoped when I first signed on.
Of course this is partly a risk associated with living in a (more or less) "open society". The only nations more or less immune to penetration are totalitarian regimes who view most of their own people as potential or actual enemies of the state.
I remember the "World Wide Post Locator" that enabled us to stay in touch with with friends and colleagues. I still miss not having access to that information.
Of course this is partly a risk associated with living in a (more or less) "open society". The only nations more or less immune to penetration are totalitarian regimes who view most of their own people as potential or actual enemies of the state.
I remember the "World Wide Post Locator" that enabled us to stay in touch with with friends and colleagues. I still miss not having access to that information.
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