Being a Veteran Is Not Enough

Military service alone doesn’t qualify anyone for office—nor excuse misconduct. Turn any article into a podcast. Upgrade now to start listening. Members can share articles with friends & family to bypass the paywall. “I’m John Kerry, and I’m reporting for duty.” These were the first words said by the 2004 democratic candidate for president as he stood at the podium in Boston to accept the nomination. While his speech has largely been forgotten—overshadowed by an earlier speech by a charismatic Illinois state senator running for U.S. Senate—the implication and tone of the speech were clear. Mike Nelson is a retired Army Special Forces officer and a member of the Atlantic Council’s Counterterrorism Project. He is formerly of the Institute for the Study of War and the National Security Institute. You can find him on x.com at @mikenelson586. More on Veterans