Former U.S. Representative from Hawaii Tulsi Gabbard complained about NATO “free riding on U.S. taxpayers” during an appearance on Fox News. The former Democrat-turned-Independent and U.S. Army Reserve officer said: “They expect us to put up the lives of my brothers and sisters in uniform to protect them when they are not even willing to do that for themselves.”
Former Marine F/A-18 pilot Amy McGrath, replied: “Hey Tulsi, I realize you didn’t deploy to Afghanistan. But I did twice and I can tell you that our NATO brothers and sisters were right there alongside us for two decades.”
[NOTE: NATO has been a contentious topic for American politicians, especially after former President Trump’s recent provocation that in a second term he would “encourage” the invasion of NATO countries that were in arrears on their dues.]
Hey Tulsi, I realize you didn't deploy to Afghanistan.
— Amy McGrath (@AmyMcGrathKY) February 21, 2024
But I did twice and I can tell you that our NATO brothers and sisters were right there alongside us for two decades. https://t.co/T8gfoi9Uui
A U.S. military trailblazer, McGrath was the first woman to fly a combat mission for the Marine Corps, as well as the first to pilot the F/A-18 on a combat mission. During her 20 years of service in the Marine Corps, McGrath flew 89 combat missions against al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
Note: Gabbard was deployed for a 12-month tour in Iraq in 2004, serving as a specialist with the Medical Company, 29th Support Battalion, 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. As an Army Military Police officer, she was stationed in Kuwait from 2008 to 2009.
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