I will never forget waking up on 9/11 and turning on the TV in my college dorm room to see the twin towers collapse. I witnessed ordinary Americans become extraordinary that day as they ran toward the fire and rubble to save lives.
Watching so many Americans put their lives on the line for our citizens, I knew I had to take action. I joined the army and became an infantry officer leading what became one of the most effective and decorated fighting units in military history with 85% of my platoon receiving Purple Hearts.
Day after day my men and I encountered heavy resistance from a well-trained and well-equipped Taliban force, but our platoon always stuck together to finish the fight. We became known as the Outlaw Platoon and the enemy learned to fear our presence in eastern Afghanistan.
485 days of leading men in battle changed me. It showed me what true sacrifice looks like, but I’m certainly not the only one. I’m just one of an entire generation of warriors who were galvanized by 9/11 to serve our country. Every single man and woman I served with - no matter where they came from or what they looked like - had one goal: to protect the freedoms that make America great.
Today, we have enemies not just on the battlefield, but among us right in Washington DC. Extremist politicians want to decimate our freedoms, sabotage our success, and abandon our core American values for socialism.
I defended the principles that make America great in uniform, and now, I’m running for Senate to defend those same principles in the halls of Congress - but I can’t win this battle alone.
If there’s one thing I learned while I served, it’s that when you stick together and never give up, victory is never out of reach. That’s why I’m assembling a team of patriots who are willing to stick up for America’s values and win the battle for our country’s future once and for all, and I want you to be on that team
