Would you vote a qualified veteran into Congress?

LTC Charles Blake - Sir, I'll give you that "no one is truly neutral". Yes we have our "leanings". I cannot and would not argue with that. However, I think what I am saying in terms of "Independent" is realizing that for the two parties to get off their collective butts is to suggest a group of NO NONSENSE "Independent minded" vets such as the US Marine LtC who had the guts to ask the question that needed to be asked are engaging in force to "...support, protect and defend... the Constitution of the United States..." would get someone's attention.

Perhaps the LtC would be willing to run for office under such an umbrella! Who knows.

Just saying....................

CPO Nate S. - While I agree it would be great to have a large number of truly party-independent people in Congress, that just isn't reality. It can be somewhat successful at the local level but if you don't have access to the resources of one or the other party you'll be extremely hard-pressed to get anyone elected to a national-level office.

Better would be veterans elected from both parties that would form a caucus once in office and show the rest what true bi-partisanship or non-partisanship looks like in action, putting what is right above the partisan posturing and demonstrate the ability to compromise rather than ostracize.

LTC Stephen B. - Sir, very reasonable.

But in looking at the list from the website of the Congressional Veterans Caucus (http://caucus.militarytimes.com/members/) there are a mix of veterans by party and while I appreciate your comments, many pictured continue to be VERY PARTISAN and would seem to lack the courage to make the change you suggest. Which would be welcomed.

Another organization calling itself NO LABELS (https://www.nolabels.org/) seems to be doing, or at least advocating what you are suggesting. I have listened in on some to the monthly and other calls. Interesting presentations and topics.

In any event, it is not as much as the numbers as the quality of veterans in congress. MOAA (https://www.moaa.org/content/publications-and-media/news-articles/2021-news-articles/veterans-in-the-117th-congress,-by-the-numbers/) gives this review of members of the 117th Congress with military service.

More interesting is the article entitled "The top 10 veterans in journalism and how you could join them" published 01 Jan 2021 (https://www.militarytimes.com/education-transition/2021/01/01/the-top-10-veterans-in-journalism-and-how-you-could-join-them/). It would seem that getting more vets engaged in fair and accurate reporting of the news, especially "investigative journalism", is another prong of potential service to the entire nation at local, regional, national and international levels.

Just saying.....................................

CPO Nate S. - That kind of bolsters my comment on another part of this thread - just because someone is a veteran does not mean they are automatically the best person for the office. I would add to that the comment that just because someone runs AS an Independent does not mean that they ARE independent. There are a small number of Independents in the Senate but they ALL caucus with one party, and are more reliably partisan than some members of that party.

COL Lee Flemming - Sir, I guess I'll beg to differ. Not all SM make the best employees. Fact. How many have you boarded out during your time in command? How many "get by" but are not actively pushing DA policy and inspiring their subordinates? It's very easy to allow someone else to advocate for you, especially if the system is already in place and everywhere we turn we see another advocacy group telling us they "got our back."

I am not advocating that a Chaptered SM run for public office. To the contrary I am advocating that our best and brightest run for office...The military is a self-policing organization. By that I mean when we make mistakes we admit them, we publicize them and we learn from them. I know of very few professions that intentionally communicate issues and faults that they are working to correct. Integrity and forthrightness are not just watch words; they are aspirational objectives that are targeted by the smallest unit and the military as a whole. Why would we not want personnel cut from this cloth leading our communities as Congressmen? MAJ Charles Blake I have no issue with you having another opinion. Mine is that we have great leaders in the military that could also be difference makers for their communities.

COL Lee Flemming - Sir, I misread your statement. You said "if we agree that SM make " and I didn't see the "if".
Certainly the military produces some fine leaders, some should be able to successfully cross over to the political arena.
Do you think that a retiree could do this or would it be a younger person without the potential for "institutionalized thinking"?

MAJ Charles Blake I think that there could be great candidates who are younger or retired. Thanks and take care...

SFC Pete Kain Agree vets don't automatically get a pass and some that post on RP are circumspect. No argument from me.

I have had a number of off-line discussions with Col Flemming and find him honorable on a number of levels. Just saying..............