Arkansas' 4 in U.S. House all veterans

They see benefit in common bond

WASHINGTON -- Earlier this month, members of Arkansas' U.S. House delegation met to discuss whether the United States should train and equip Syrians fighting against the Islamic State.

Such discussions are fairly common, the members said last week. What makes it unusual is that the entire Arkansas House delegation has served in the military in a time when less than 20 percent of U.S. House members have served.

According to the House clerk's office, Alaska -- with its one House member -- is the only state in the country besides Arkansas whose entire delegation has military experience.

The 86 veterans or current military members serving in the 435-member House represent 32 states and two territories. Each territory sends one delegate to Congress, but they cannot vote.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock political science professor emeritus Art English said that while it's unusual that the entire delegation has military experience, it's not unexpected in a state that has been home to multiple military bases.

"In a small state like ours, there's a pretty strong military connection," he said.

He said that connection may make voters more likely to pick someone who has served.

"In the minds of the citizen, the voter, I think those things do come up. If I were running for office, golly, to be a veteran, to be deployed, to have served in the Reserve, to be on active duty, I think that counts in Arkansas. It might not count that much in Maine, in might not count that much in Rhode Island," he said.

Arkansas' congressmen, all Republicans, served in different parts of the military and at different times.

U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, a retired Army National Guard colonel, said the military experience he and his colleagues have often colors discussions about national security and foreign policy.

With the support of Arkansas' delegation, the House and Senate voted last week to allow the secretary of defense to train and equip Syrian fighters to combat the Islamic State, which rose in prominence in midsummer, when its fighters seized several Iraqi cities and killed two American journalists.

"On matters of this importance, I value the opinions of my colleagues from Arkansas who were in the breach," Womack said. "All four of us have military backgrounds of various types, and I think it's important that we share our personal experiences."

Womack retired in 2009 after 30 years in the National Guard.

U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin, a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve, said personal military experiences often come up in mundane circumstances, such as waiting in line at an event.

"There's a real comfort level among we four because we all served. We sort of speak the same language on that, from a familiarity, from a cultural perspective," he said.

Griffin said military service is ingrained in who the members have become.

"You can't have those sort of experiences and not extract something that you rely on and identify with and count on in your analysis," he said. "That stuff can't be separated. It's part of who you are."

In 2006, Griffin served in the Army Judge Advocate General Corps in Mosul, Iraq.

U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, a former U.S. Army bomb-disposal technician, said the different times and ways the members of Arkansas' delegation have served gives them different perspectives.

"We talk about these things all the time as it applies to national security, military issues. We -- all four of us -- have sort of a unique experience within the military, and it all serves us very well to bounce these ideas off of each other and try to make the best decisions we can," Crawford said.

U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton, a former Army captain who served combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, said veterans enter public life with a specific knowledge, such as how troops move tactically, and he noted that the military teaches skills such as teamwork that translate to elected office.

"There are general lessons you learn in the military that are very important when making public policy ... like if you look strong and tough, you're unlikely to get attacked, and if you look weak and soft you are likely to be attacked," Cotton said.

Griffin said his experience makes it easier for him to understand the complexities of foreign policy, but it doesn't change his political views.

For example, because he's flown over and served in Iraq, he has an idea of how successful airstrikes or other actions may be against the Islamic State.

"When I think about Iraq -- when I think about that part of the world -- I am comfortable with the familiarity I have with the topography and the ground," Griffin said.

Crawford said the military veterans in the House tend to be sources of information for those who aren't veterans or were veterans at a different time or in a different branch.

"You might have Navy veterans that have a different perspective than Army veterans, than Air Force veterans or Marines. It's very helpful to get their perspective," he said.

After more than 10 years of military action in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is surprising that there are not more veterans in the House, Crawford said.

"You would think there would be more. I'm encouraged that we have that many, but I'd like to see more," he said of the 86.

Cotton said he believes more veterans from recent conflicts will likely be elected over time.

"I think we will have more veterans in the Congress in years to come as my generation of soldiers gets older and get to stages in their life where they are running for national office," he said. "It's a good thing in part because they know those lessons, they know what it's like to confront enemies who try to destroy you or say they're going to kill you, and they know that's serious business."

Womack said military experience isn't necessary to serve, however, and that Congress needs to reflect the population.

"Congress should be a cross section of society; it has always been a cross section of society," he said.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that Arkansas was home to 250,095 veterans as of Aug. 30, 2013. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the state's population was 2.95 million last year.

Nationally, the department estimates that there were 22 million American veterans in 2013. The estimated U.S. population was 316 million.

SundayMonday on 09/21/2014

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