Friend,

I wanted to share with you my opinion piece in Newsweek calling for the depoliticization of the National Guard and our Armed Forces on the occasion of Monday's launch of Reveille and Rally, Country First’s campaign to warn against the misuse of the Guard and U.S. Military. 

Thank you, Adam

For more than two decades, I wore the uniform of the United States. I served in the United States Air Force and the Wisconsin Air National Guard, deployed overseas, flew missions on our southern and northern borders and stood shoulder to shoulder with Americans from every background and political perspective. I also served in Congress, charged with civilian oversight of the very institution I was part of. Those two roles taught me something essential about the strength of our military and National Guard: they belong to the country, not to any politician.

When I reported for Guard duty while serving in Congress, I didn’t show up as “Congressman Kinzinger.” I showed up as just another member of my unit. No one cared how I voted, what cable news I watched, or what party I belonged to. I had a job to do, a mission to execute and a team depending on me. Politics stayed at the door—where it belonged.

[CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON NEWSWEEK’S WEBSITE]