From that list of states, it makes perfect sense for the DeSantis campaign to choose South Carolina to launch its veterans coalition today. South Carolina is a red state and among the first to vote in the presidential primary schedule.

The “Veterans for DeSantis Coalition” is being described as a national leadership team and a grassroots component that will spotlight the military service of Ron DeSantis, the only veteran in the 2024 presidential race. Smart move. I think one of his strongest attributes as a presidential candidate is his status as a veteran. Veterans offer a different perspective to foreign policy and potential military decisions that a non-veteran does not possess. It’s time to have a veteran back in the White House.

In a press release on Wednesday, the DeSantis campaign said the coalition will debut at the first of a series of events in Anderson, South Carolina, on Thursday that will help share the message of how “DeSantis’s military service and vision to reverse America’s decline make him the best suited to serve as Commander-in-Chief.”

Congressman Rich McCormick (R-GA), a decorated U.S. Marine Corps and Navy veteran, will lead the Veterans for DeSantis National Leadership Team, according to the press release.

“We need a Commander-In-Chief who has worn the flag on his sleeve, and truly understands what it means to put service above self,” McCormick, former Navy commander, said.

“We need a President with a track record of accomplishments, focused on tackling the challenges that plague our families and communities, and unapologetically committed to our conservative values,” he continued. “I am proud to endorse Governor DeSantis and serve on his National Leadership Team because he has proven himself to be a servant leader who never backs down from a fight. We can trust Ron DeSantis to lead, succeed, and always put the American people first.”

As the only veteran running for president, I understand the needs of those who have sacrificed so much to defend our nation, and I pledge to always fight for them as Commander-in-Chief. pic.twitter.com/t5FX6zZTvy

— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) October 19, 2023

Freedom is fragile.

It’s my opinion that Joe Biden’s policies have made the world a more dangerous place. He projects weakness on the world stage. He is slow to respond to big events that would typically lend an opportunity for the United States to lead. He, like Barack Obama, leads from behind. Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan tanked his approval ratings and rightly so. He has not recovered. The United States military had a long tradition of leaving no one behind. Joe Biden, a person who sought 5 deferments from military service during the Vietnam war, ended that and the world watched. The unthinkable played out before our eyes on cable news outlets.

Putin didn’t invade Ukraine during the Trump administration. Hamas didn’t start a war with Israel during the Trump administration. Trump defeated ISIS, the terror network Obama called the JV (junior varsity) while he and Joe Biden watched ISIS grow during their administration. Under Trump’s orders, Soleimani was taken out. Now the United States looks weak because of the feeble old man in the White House who has to be led off a stage. He is clueless. Biden has made the world a more dangerous place and it will take a solid leader to turn things around.

DeSantis, who says he was inspired to serve in the military by the attacks on 9/11, volunteered to join the Navy after graduating from Harvard Law and deployed as a JAG officer in Iraq and was awarded a Bronze Star.

Dan Bean, a retired U.S. Navy captain, said in the press release that DeSantis was “one of the most selfless individuals with whom I ever served.”

Bean isn’t just some random veteran who served with DeSantis. He was his Commanding Officer in the Navy. Now he wants DeSantis to be commander-in-chief.

Selfless. That would be a nice change of pace after recent occupants in the Oval Office.

A strong attribute of Ron DeSantis is that he builds coalitions. That is how a leader gets important things done. The veterans coalition is the fourth coalition the DeSantis campaign has launched. The others are Mamas for DeSantis, Law Enforcement for DeSantis, and DeSantis’ Faith and Family Coalition. Casey DeSantis looks to be a true partner with her husband. She has been essential in getting out the message of the Mamas for DeSantis coalition. Who better, as she usually has one or all of the couple’s three young children in tow?

The campaign has a list of over a dozen veterans, many of them decorated, who have signed on to the national leadership team. DeSantis promised to “rip the woke out of the military” and restore it to “mission first,” according to the press release.

“In today’s increasingly volatile world, America needs a strong leader who understands the gravity of this responsibility to each service-member, and this nation,” Florida State Senator Jay Collins, a retired U.S. Army sergeant, said. “As a veteran, who has served our nation in a combat zone, Ron DeSantis is ready to stand up and fight for this nation on day one.”

DeSantis deployed with SEAL Team One in Iraq and served as a JAG. He received the Bronze Star.