Because of my own family's service (in the U.S. Army Navy and Massachusetts and New York National Guard) I am a strong supporter of the military and do believe that there are just wars.
I think Hispanic community - the values that resonate in our community are fundamentally conservative. They are faith family and patriotism. Do you know the rate of military enlistment among Hispanics is higher than any demographic in this country? And they are also hard work and responsibility.
It is hard as an American to support the failure of American military operations in Iraq. Such failure will bring with it the death and wounding of many American service members and many more Iraqis.
So while I will never minimize the costs involved in military action I am convinced that a failure to act in Libya would have carried a far greater price for America.
There's full consensus in the military that women shouldn't be in person-to-person combat. I don't know if we have enough experience to know whether this is the right approach. But women can be elsewhere. We have mandatory military service in Chile. I pushed for women in all areas.
From a viable economy to the full funding of Headstart from a clean environment to true equality for women from a strong military to a commitment to racial brotherhood from schools that are honored to streets free of excessive violence.
The more equality women have the fairer more civilized and tolerant society will be. Sexual equality is a lot more effective against terrorism than military strength.
In our post-9/11 world our Nation's military deserves at least the same access to institutions of higher education that any other major employer might enjoy.
Without education we are weaker economically. Without economic power we are weaker in terms of national security. No great military power has ever remained so without great economic power.
When I grew up I only had two dreams. One was to be a cowboy and another was to be in the military. I grew up extremely patriotic and riding horses.
My dad and grandpa were in the army and as a country singer you're constantly playing at military bases all across the country and meeting soldiers and their families and hearing their stories.
I'm a military kid both parents in the military - Mom did 12 years Dad did 21 served in two wars. So discipline is something that was huge.
And as a child I was filled with passionate admiration for acts of civic courage I had seen performed by an elderly military doctor who was a friend of my family.
Throughout the history of our young nation we have seen our military go bravely into battle armed with courage and willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.
The British were indeed very far superior to the Americans in every respect necessary to military operations except the revivified courage and resolution the result of sudden success after despair.
I saw courage both in the Vietnam War and in the struggle to stop it. I learned that patriotism includes protest not just military service.
A military coup needs a sacrifice and courage that you can't find in an army without morale.
But courage which goes against military expediency is stupidity or if it is insisted upon by a commander irresponsibility.
The military is a very cool world to write about. I went down to Ft. Benning Ga. for military training and I learned a lot about soldiers and officers and why they joined up and what their life has been like.
Of course there is no question that Libya - and the world - will be better off with Gaddafi out of power. I along with many other world leaders have embraced that goal and will actively pursue it through non-military means. But broadening our military mission to include regime change would be a mistake.
The fact is that a car used by Gerry Adams and myself during the course of the Mitchell review was bugged by elements within British military intelligence.
A geek isn't the skinny kid with a pocket protector and acne. There can be computer geeks video game geeks car geeks military geeks and sports geeks. Being a geek just means that you're passionate about something.
The word 'geek' today does not mean what it used to mean. A geek isn't the skinny kid with a pocket protector and acne. There can be computer geeks video game geeks car geeks military geeks and sports geeks. Being a geek just means that you're passionate about something.
It's not just Bin Laden or just those that are involved in the counterterrorism effort. We've gotta cast the net broader than that. But I think it's a - very special tribute that we all owe to the bravery and courage of the men and women in the intelligence and military business who performed so well to finally get it done.
So I remember when I was a kid I was waiting for my mom to come home when she was working late and you know I was like 'Oh my God what happened to her? Is she OK? Did something happen to her getting in the car?' I was a little kid. But those are actually early onsets of anxiety.