Earlier this year, Senator Ernst discussed that her continued service in the Iowa National Guard would be transitory, stressing the importance of her new responsibilities as Iowa’s Senator and time with her family.
“It has truly been one of my greatest honors to serve our great state and nation alongside some of our finest men and women in uniform,” said Senator Ernst. “The decision to hang up my uniform after more than two decades in the military is not one I have made lightly and has been incredibly difficult. However, this decision provides me with a greater opportunity to continue meeting with, hearing from and serving Iowans in my capacity as a United States Senator, as well as spending more time with my family. I am forever grateful to all those who continue to serve in uniform for their selfless sacrifice and commitment to defending our nation and protecting our liberties.”
Senator Joni Ernst served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard and has proudly served in the military for over 23 years. In 2003, she served as company commander during Operation Iraqi Freedom where her unit was tasked with running convoys through Kuwait and into southern Iraq. Senator Ernst and her husband, a retired Army Ranger, reside in southwest Iowa where she will continue to serve her state and nation in the U.S. Senate.
Appreciate your service Joni, but don’t blow your record out of proportion.
National Guard
1 weekend/month X 12 months = 24 days/year
2 weeks/year = 14 days/year
Total = 38 days/year
38 days/year X 21.5 years = 817 Days or 2.25 years
1 year in Kuwait + buildup = 16 months or 1.33 years.
So actually Joni only spent about 3.6 years total on active duty, less than an average 4 year enlistment.
Soldiers do not make policy or declare war. They do what they are ordered to do and are always ready to fight for their country. The comments on here are a insult to every service man who served his or her country AND are made by cowards who hide their heads in the sand and make snide comments about people stronger and braver than they will ever be.
I would say all 3 comments are from peter, it fits him.
Since WWII there have been almost no actions which have directly, or in some sense, remotely defended the Freedom of the US.
Korea was defending the ‘freedom’, such as it was defined, of Korea.
Vietnam was defending the ‘freedom’ of Vietnam, and by using the ‘domino theory’, the rest of South East Asia, Indonesia and perhaps northern Australia.
About the closest that the US military has come to actually defending US freedom, was perhaps the Cuban Missile Crisis.
It is an empty phrase of war mongers, to whip up blind support for any amount of idiocy, such as the last round of Iraq… which was to defend the ‘freedom’ of Saudi Arabia, where most of the 9/11 hijackers were born, raised, and developed their terrorist leanings.
Amen
Great comment.