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which was launched in March. The bipartisan group is made up of members who served in the military after 9/11 and who are dedicated to issues related to the newest genera- tion of veterans.

A similar bipartisan caucus was launched in the Senate in August by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a lieutenant colonel in the Army National Guard and the first female veteran elected to the Senate. “As members of the Post-9/11 Veterans Caucus, we have an important op- portunity to set the example and bring forth bipartisan and nonpoliti- cal solutions, which ultimately serve this group of veterans,” Ernst said in a statement.

Staying on target To voters more concerned with eco- nomics than national security, elect- ing veterans might not be an obvious solution to the gridlock gripping the nation’s capital. “I have no illusion that the American people are crying out and clamoring for more vets in Congress,” Lynn says. “But they are clamoring for more civility, for people who have more integrity, people who are more service-oriented, people who can work together.” In other words, he says, they are clamoring for the kind of leadership veterans can offer. And veterans are — once again — heeding the call. “If you see something’s not right

and you’re frustrated with it, then you’ve got to be willing to step up and fix it,” McSally says. “You don’t walk by a problem.”

Veterans Campaign reports 184 military veterans obtained major party nominations in the 2014 mid- term elections (164 running for House seats; 20 for the Senate). Most didn’t win, but experts expect to see the new generation of veterans gaining more of a competitive edge in coming years as they begin to make essential connections, build networks, and gain experience in local politics. “You really need to get involved

in your community,” says Lynn, who encourages potential candidates to start at the state and local level. Even before running for office, it’s a good idea to begin building a foundation, he explains. “Join some boards and committees in your town.” Bill Holtzclaw, who spent 20 years

(right) Alabama state Sen. Bill Holtzclaw served in the Marine Corps for 20 years. (below) Sen. Joni Ernst, an Iowa Army National Guard offi- cer, joins Senate col- legues to launch the post-9/11 veterans caucus in August.

in the Marine Corps, began his po- litical career on the city council in Madison, Ala., a suburb of Huntsville in close proximity to Redstone Arse- nal, the Army’s center for missile and rocket programs. After two years in that position, he successfully ran for the state senate, where he currently represents 145,000 constituents. “As a candidate, it is important that you know the community that you are representing,” he says. “You have to build that infrastruc-

ture,” Miller says. “I don’t care if you’re running for dogcatcher or run- ning for Congress, you’ve got to have that infrastructure out there of people who support you. That’s everything from writing a check to licking a stamp or putting up yard signs.” When asked what veterans inter-

ested in seeking elected office have in common, Lynn says, “Generally speaking, I would say that virtually all of them want to do it for what I would call the right reasons. All of them look at it as a continuation of their service to our country. They also, almost to a person, underestimate how important fundraising will be.” “It takes money to get your mes- sage out,” Holtzclaw says. In 2010,

90 MILITARY OFFICER MONTH 2005

PHOTOS: LEFT, COURTESY JOE MANCHIN; ABOVE LEFT, COURTESY BILL HOLTZCLAW