They serve our country. Will this debate serve the US?

One Military member’s view on how the 2024 campaign is affecting our ability to unite and defend

US Military members join for many reasons. Family pride. A sense of duty. Access to the GI Bill. Whatever the motivation, they sign up to serve — pledging an oath to the US Constitution and putting their lives on the line. 

This year — with two candidates for Vice President who have served in uniform — there’s already been much debate and posturing about military service and valor. 

Each campaign has highlighted support from Gold Star families, those who pay the ultimate sacrifice with their own dying for our nation. 

President Trump recently visited Arlington National Cemetery to pay respects but because of longstanding rules was asked not to bring photographers. Afterwards the Harris campaign weighed in which caused those Gold Star families who were with President Trump to post videos. 

As we head into tonight’s debate and both campaigns talk about the fight between one another, I’ve been wondering what effect this has on our country’s ability to defend against enemies, and our military’s capability to unite for battle.  

To answer some of these questions, I spoke to a friend of mine who has spent nearly 40 years serving in the Department of Defense, both in and out of uniform, and who I met when we overlapped at the White House.

*** 

When we talk about Gold Star families, my friend recalls a tragic moment from his own career. 

It was April 1994.  “In what was called a tragic mistake, two U.S. warplanes shot down two U.S. Army helicopters in northern Iraq's no-fly zone. All 26 people aboard were killed,” the news report read. 

A woman who my friend trained with was among the deceased. He mourned the unnecessary loss, a tragic mistake. His discomfort grew, though, when her family went to the media to press for answers. 

He had nothing to do with this incident but as he watched, he called his parents and said, “I have a dangerous job. Everyone is trying to do their best job.  If anything ever happens to me, don’t do this. Don’t ever bring what happened to me into the media — you won't be able to bring me back,” he said. 

“I think it’s even worse to bring it into politics,” he adds. 

Most members of the military have a healthy skepticism of the press, he tells me.  They read what’s written, they watch.  Many of the “military experts” talking to the media are not actually current on their assessments, he tells me.  

He watches and he gets frustrated.  He would speak out but he’s currently with the military, and the military is cautious for good reason.  And right now, the ugly, bitter feuds and polarization creates an environment where it feels sometimes like it’s not even worth it. 

*** 

The most humbling thing for me about working in the White House is realizing how little you’ve actually served your country when you’re playing in politics. 

Meeting the men and women who wear the uniform of our country, who sign up to die for American values, whose children don’t know if their parents will come home: That will put things into perspective very quickly. 

I remember leaving a newborn to fly to Afghanistan with President Obama. Service members who we were visiting on the trip had very young children at home.  While I was away on a brief Presidential trip, they would be away for months, hoping they would have the ability one day to go home. A sacrifice unmatched. 

Our military is our elite strength throughout the world. 

“We are the one percent,” my friend tells me, of the military.  And it’s true — slightly less than 1 percent of America is currently in active duty service.  

On these political debates he says: “The rest are going to listen, and get all spun up.  All you need is 1-2 people — and you think everyone else feels that way.” 

My friend is careful to say his positions don’t speak for everyone, or anyone other than himself. 

Here’s what I can tell you, though: He’s always been fair, a person who serves humbly, is respected by his peers and reports. He still works with the military as a civilian and is friends with many we worked with — from all different branches of the military. 

What he sees is a political landscape that has continued to seep into military debates, not necessarily for the betterment of anyone.

A lot of retirees, he tells me, get all worked up one way or another.  There are friends he has who are avid supporters of Harris, there are friends he has who are avid supporters of Trump.  

What really bothers him is when those who have served are involved in belittling anyone else’s service.  He sees it both ways.  

He sees people accuse JD Vance of just playing a military journalist, because he served in a communications role.  He sees people accuse Tim Walz of stolen valor, because he retired as a different rank than he held.  “The man served for 24 years,” he says.  

We should all have pride in that service, he says. JD Vance deserves credit for service and so does Tim Walz. 

When we speak about Arlington National Cemetery and the incident that unfolded with Gold Star Families whose most precious loved one was lost, he tells me the story of his friend who died, how much he feels for the families whose pride was lost in Afghanistan. 

“It is tragic that we lost 13 Americans that day, but what people don’t understand is we would have lost far more than 13 if we had stayed,” he says. 

I ask whether the politicization has affected the military. He recalls a story from a long time ago when a woman who reported to him was getting her retirement certificate. She said she didn’t want her retirement certificate signed by President Clinton.  She wanted to ask for President George H.W. Bush’s signature instead, he said. 

Is it worse today? 

He tells me bonds are still quite strong in the military.  

“When you’re living in a tent in the desert in Saudi for 6 months, when the low for the day is 106.  And you’re flying nights, one in the afternoon and your power and generator goes out, and you’re sweating — everyone is together. The military is a really special thing to be a part of, the public doesn’t get that,” he said. 

*** 

So what does he want to see out of this Presidential debate? He wants a debate on substance. 

They need to address the potential of a conflict with China, he says.

“We’re preparing for the worst,” he says.  “And what people don’t understand is this wouldn’t be just a small number of losses.  This would be more like World War II.”  

Of war with China, he doesn’t want to see it happen.  He believes firmly in deterrence and is frustrated when leaders speak ill of our alliances.  

“We don’t go it alone anywhere, we can’t.  The reason Ukraine isn’t part of Russia is because there’s a coalition supplying them with everything but boots on the ground. Coalitions are extremely important,” he said. 

China currently has a Navy capacity that outpaces US Navy capacity. With China having complete control of their media, one of the most popular films in recent years was one featuring a war, where China defeated the United States. 

He’d also like to hear how we will work with allies, and use the precision of planning that the military is capable of to increase our defense readiness.

And he’d like to be assured we have a President who will listen, and not just go it alone, he said. 

There’s positive movement on that front within the military.  While he remembers that they used to have to do military exercises separately with the Koreans, then the Japanese, now they practice together. 

The military is ready to show a unified deterrence, he believes.  

The question he’s not so sure of is – whether tonight’s debate will echo that unified deterrence.