A fellow soldier who I had served with in the streets of Baghdad and I waited for Senator John Kerry in the Russell Office Building nervous to meet the man who only recently ended his campaign for President of the United States. He was hosting a screening of the documentary Gunner Palace which was based on our "Gunner" Battalion’s experience in Baghdad, Iraq and dove into the soldier’s experience in this war. We were honored to have a few moments to share with the Senator before the screening, but expected he would introduce the film and move on to other business of the day. To our pleasant surprise, he not only stayed to watch the entire film, but led in depth conversation focusing on what our men and women were facing on the ground in Iraq
His passion was evident for both our soldiers’ experience and trying to get a true understanding of the situation that was, at the time, unfolding into a civil war. Our conversation covered the military perspective, but he was also very engaged in what it was like for the Iraqi people. He was very curious about what non-military efforts were being implemented on the ground. It was obvious to my fellow soldiers and me that the Senator truly understood that to gain real security in Iraq we needed to move beyond the military solution that was being pushed by Bush Administration.
Later that year I returned to Baghdad to find ways to engage Iraq’s youth and moved to Washington to attempt to advocate for changes in our approach on the ground. Senator Kerry’s office was critical in our efforts to try and bring solutions to the streets of Baghdad that would both support the soldiers’ mission and bring real stability to the region. Over the course of the last few years I have come to know the Senator well as he became a mentor to me. I have seen first hand his passion for an approach to our national security that while understanding the use of military power looks to empower and utilize the soft power approaches. It is this type of leadership that can help bring real security to our nation.
The US State Department is going to be a critical focus of the new Administration as President-Elect Barack Obama understands that national security goes well beyond the Department of Defense. Even Defense Secretary Robert Gates warns of a "creeping militarization" of our foreign policy and stresses the need for funding our efforts at the State Department even more so that the Department of Defense.
America's civilian institutions of diplomacy and development have been chronically undermanned and underfunded for far too long -- relative to what we traditionally spend on the military, and more importantly, relative to the responsibilities and challenges our nation has around the world – Secretary Gates
Our nation needs a leader for Secretary of State who understands that the military is a tool in a broader tool kit needed to bring real security and implement a foreign policy that works to utilize everything we have available. John Kerry’s courageous wide ranging service from being a combat soldier in Vietnam to his work on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee prepared him well for this incredible task. I believe he possesses the knowledge, skills, judgment, and passion to play this critical role in President Obama’s cabinet at a time when America is looking to relight the beacon that will once again shine around the world.
The Bush Administration has done tremendous damage to our nation’s image abroad that President Obama’s leadership can begin to repair, and choosing John Kerry as a Secretary of State will be a great first step.