"Do I take gratification? You know there's the Marine side of me: Yeah, of course, said Arizona Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego, whose company suffered some of the heaviest losses on the U.S. side during the Iraq War. I know they killed a lot of American soldiers, American Marines. But do I also understand that I have a responsibility not to let my lust for revenge drive my country into another war?"
"Experiences in the post 9/11 wars are also coloring the decisions of the Trump administration, given that top officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, were once deployed to Iraq. Gallego, like others on Capitol Hill, leaned heavily on his firsthand experience of fighting in the wars after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks as he assessed the Iran conflict."
"Lawmakers wore bracelets etched with the names of friends killed in battle, told stories of coming under attack from Iran-backed militant groups and reflected on their own life-changing injuries suffered during combat. Veteran lawmakers are wary of war while the initial votes on Iran saw Congress divide mostly along party lines."
Congressional members who served in Iraq and Afghanistan bring personal combat experience to debates over U.S. military action against Iran. These veteran lawmakers experience conflicting emotions: satisfaction that Iranian leadership responsible for American casualties faces consequences, yet deep concern about repeating costly wars. Senior Trump administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, also served in Iraq, shaping their perspectives. Veteran lawmakers across both parties share reservations about escalating conflict, drawing on firsthand knowledge of combat losses, injuries, and impacts on Gold Star families. Their experiences directly influence their assessments of military action, creating a war debate with intensely personal significance beyond typical partisan divisions.
#military-veterans-in-congress #iran-conflict #iraq-and-afghanistan-wars #war-authorization-debate #combat-experience-and-policy
Read at www.twincities.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]