The Cost of War: An Interview With Hawaii Congressional Candidate and Veteran Tulsi Gabbard

[unhappycamper]

http://truth-out.org/news/item/12549-the-cost-of-war-an-interview-with-hawaii-congressional-candidate-and-veteran-tulsi-gabbard



Hawaii Congressional candidate Tulsi Gabbard.


The Cost of War: An Interview With Hawaii Congressional Candidate and Veteran Tulsi Gabbard
Monday, 05 November 2012 14:23 By Jon Letman, Truthout | Interview

Tulsi Gabbard. If the name is unfamiliar to you, it won't be for long. Gabbard, a 31-year-old former Honolulu city councilwoman and state legislator, has been repeatedly tagged as a "rising star" and "one to watch" following her primary upset victory and subsequent appearance at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte.

Tulsi, as everyone calls her, is not just another Congressional candidate. At 21 years old, she was the youngest woman ever to be elected to a state legislature. She's also a captain in Hawaii's National Guard and a combat veteran who served in Iraq (2004-2006) and Kuwait (2008-2009). The daughter of a prominent Hawaii state senator, Gabbard was born in American Samoa and happens to be a (non-Indian) Hindu, which would make her (if she wins) the first Samoan-born Hindu female combat veteran from Hawaii to be elected to Congress.

~snip~

TG: Those experiences changed my life completely, as an individual as well as my perspective on the world, on our country, our role in the world, as well as our government's role in our own personal lives, as well as the tremendous cost of war. Seeing that firsthand - I was in a medical unit during my first deployment, and one of my daily jobs was going down a list of all the casualties and injuries that happened in the entire country every single day. I had to go through this list name by name and see if any of our Hawaii soldiers had been injured or hurt and make sure that they were getting the care that they needed, and making sure that they were cared for until they made it home.

But seeing - in many different ways - that cost of war will absolutely make an impact on how I'll vote as a member of Congress. When we're talking about our military's role - when and where they should serve, and being very, very, very careful and measured in those decisions.

[Victor_c3]

1. Thanks for all the articles you post over here

I don't know where you find that stuff...

I haven't heard of this woman myself, but I like what I just read about her. I'm going to have to keep my eye out for her in the future. I have a special place in my heart for combat veterans who lean left and make it to the political arena.