9 veterans to support

Folks have been emailing me about what veterans they can support for political office in the 2010 elections. Iraq Veterans for Congress sent me the following list with links;

Iraq Veterans

Tim Griffin (AK-2):Tim is currently serving in his 13th year as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve, Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps and holds the rank of major.  In May 2006, Tim was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division and sent to serve in Iraq. He served in Mosul, Iraq, as a member of the 172d Stryker Brigade Combat Team Brigade Operational Law Team, for which he was awarded the Combat Action Badge. From 2006-2007, he served as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. He is the founder of the Griffin Law Firm, PLLC.

Dr. Joe Heck (NV-3):Dr. Joe Heck has passionately served the residents of Nevada as a physician, Army Reservist, and community volunteer.  He continues to serve as a tactical physician with the LVMPD SWAT team. Joe serves in the United States Army Reserve having recently returned from a deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He currently holds the rank of Colonel and commands a U.S. Army Hospital.  In his civilian life Dr. Heck is the President of a company dedicated to providing quality medical training, consulting, and operational support to Law Enforcement, EMS and Military Special Operations.

Patrick Murray (VA-8): Patrick is a retired U.S. Army Colonel with 24-years of active service.  He spent over a decade in numerous positions abroad including tours in Iraq, Kosovo, Bosnia, Serbia and Russia.  After commanding tank units for seven years, Patrick went on to become a Foreign Area Officer in the Defense Intelligence Agency. He has extensive operational, analytical and policy experience. A Russian speaker, Patrick has worked in various bilateral and multilateral international relations venues, foreign policy, political military affairs, arms control and military-to-military relations.  His final tour of duty was at the United Nations in New York as a member of the U.S. Military Staff Committee.

Steve Stivers (OH-15):Steve served in the Ohio Senate from 2003 until 2008. He has been in the Ohio National Guard since 1985 and holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Steve was called to active duty while serving in the Ohio Senate in October 2004. It was then that Steve served in Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, and Djibouti as Battalion Commander until December 2005. He was awarded the Bronze Star. Today Steve works in the private sector, working with companies to improve operations, explore new opportunities, and create and retain jobs.

Allen West (FL-22): Allen served in Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom where he was battalion commander for the Army’s 4th Infantry Division.  Allen’s honors include a Bronze Star, three Meritorious Service Medals, three Army Commendation Medals (one with Valor). He was also the US Army ROTC Instructor of the Year in 1993. Upon retiring from the army he taught high school for one year before serving in Afghanistan as an advisor.

Afghanistan Veteran

Andrew “Rocky” Raczkowski (MI-9): Rocky enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve at the age of 17, serving four years as an infantryman and reaching the rank of Sergeant.  In 1990, Rocky attended Officer Candidate School, where he received his commission and became a 2nd Lieutenant in the infantry.  He has served in many leadership and command positions and is currently a Major.  Rocky is also a paratrooper and certified Pathfinder.  Rocky is Chairman and CEO of Star Tickets, a Michigan corporation serving the ticketing and entertainment industry all across North America.

Veterans of Other Eras

Rick Crawford (AK-1): Rick served in the United States Army as a bomb disposal technician. He completed four years of service, advanced to the rank of Sergeant in under three years, and earned numerous medals for service in the U.S. and Southwest Asia.  During his term of service, he also had the privilege of serving on numerous U.S. Secret Service security details supporting presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush among other U.S. and foreign dignitaries.  He has been a news anchor and agri-reporter.  He now owns and operates the AgWatch Network – a farm news network heard on 39 radio stations.

John Loughlin (RI-1):John spent 10 years on flight status as a helicopter pilot flying missions in a variety of Army helicopters including the UH-1 Huey, the OH-6 Cayuse and the OH-58 Kiowa Warrior. In 1986, John went to work full-time for the Rhode Island National Guard as the Adjutant General’s Public Affairs Officer. He also served in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the mid-1990s. John currently owns and operates Media-Rite LLC, a television, radio and film production company.

Mike Pompeo (KS-4): Mike Pompeo attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, and graduated first in his class. Mike served with distinction as a cavalry officer in the U.S. Army, leading troops as they patrolled the Iron Curtain before the fall of the Berlin wall. After leaving the army, Mike attended Harvard Law School where he served as an editor of the Harvard Law Review. After graduating with honors, Mike practiced law before beginning a career as an entrepreneur

Category: Veterans in politics