A Day in the U.S. Senate -- Why Armed Forces Experience Matters

A Day in the U.S. Senate -- Why Armed Forces Experience Matters

After conflicts like the Revolutionary War, World War Two and the War Between the States, American voters sent armed forces veterans to Congress in droves. Virtually all of our nation's Founding Fathers were Revolutionary War veterans.  In the 1870s, nearly all members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee were veterans of major Civil War combat engagements.  In dwindling numbers, World War Two, Korean War and Vietnam veterans continue to serve  in Congress today.  

But compared with our nation's broader history, today just a handful of Congress members have armed forces experience.  And it shows.

Why should voters send armed forces veterans to Congress?  Why does this service matter?

Veterans know how to ask the hard questions during these challenging times:

• This is a time when North Korea recently had a historic change of leadership and is redoubling its efforts to experiment with lethal weapons. 
• This is a time when our nation has 'all options on the table' with regard to Iran.
• And this is the time with 100,000 American soldiers still deployed in Afghanistan.
  
  

Our nation deserves the best possible national security decision-making.  The way to ensure this is to send experienced armed forces veterans to Congress.  Their experience is vital to compensate for a White House and National Security Council with no military experience at all.

Veterans have the courage to ask the tough questions:  'star struck' non-veteran members of Congress are a liability when it comes time to ask tough questions about Executive branch assumptions related to national defense.  Congress is responsible to the people for raising and equipping our armed forces and declaring war.  The American people have a right to expect Congress to ask well-founded questions before committing their sons and daughters to combat.  Seasoned armed forces veterans know how to ask such questions.

Armed forces experience does not necessarily produce better Americans.  It will produce better Senators.

Richard Douglas is a candidate for the U.S. Senate in Maryland.