{"id":2325655,"date":"2024-08-16T12:48:54","date_gmt":"2024-08-16T16:48:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mike-waltz-first-green-beret-elected-to-congress-has-a-lesson-for-us-all-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-16T12:53:39","modified_gmt":"2024-08-16T16:53:39","slug":"mike-waltz-first-green-beret-elected-to-congress-has-a-lesson-for-us-all-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mike-waltz-first-green-beret-elected-to-congress-has-a-lesson-for-us-all-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Mike Waltz, first Green Beret elected to Congress, has a lesson for us all &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmike-waltz-first-green-beret-elected-to-congress-has-a-lesson-for-us-all-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2325655&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The \u2062article focuses on\u200d Rep. Mike\u200b Waltz,\u2062 the first Green Beret elected to Congress, who shares valuable lessons from his military experience and personal journey in his \u2062upcoming\u2064 book, &#8220;Hard Truths: Think\u2063 and \u2064Lead Like a Green Beret,&#8221; set to release on October 22. Waltz reflects on facing\u2064 false\u2064 &#8220;stolen valor&#8221; accusations during his 2018 campaign, contrasting it with the claims \u200bagainst\u2063 Democratic Vice Presidential candidate\u200c Tim Walz. Rather than retaliating,\u2064 Waltz \u200cemphasizes the importance of restraint, \u200ca principle integral to his training as a Green Beret. The book draws on gripping battlefield stories to illustrate key virtues such \u2064as loyalty, resilience, persistence, and the need for accountability in leadership. Additionally, Waltz aims\u200d to inspire more veterans to pursue public office, particularly in light of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-school-district-promotes-segregated-black-parent-meeting\/\" title=\"California School District Promotes Segregated \u2018Black Parent\u2019 Meeting\">challenges faced<\/a> during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Throughout, he underscores that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-white-house-posted-a-phone-number-for-biden-and-it-wants-you-to-text-him\/\" title=\"Text Biden at the White House - they&#039;re waiting for your message!\">effective leadership requires<\/a> not just strength but also restraint and the ability to\u2062 unite people for a common cause.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Mike Waltz, first Green Beret elected to Congress, has a lesson for us all<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1730885\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) knows all about being the target of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3122703\/vance-stolen-valor-walz-vfw-pennsylvania\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>&ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tim-walz-inflated-his-military-rank-and-ducked-deployment\/\" title=\"Tim Walz Inflated His Military Rank And Ducked Deployment\">stolen valor&#038;rdquo<\/a>;<\/a> claims.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike the charges being hurled at Democratic vice presidential pick Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/politics\/3121622\/political-perspectives-stacking-evidence-of-stolen-valor-for-tim-walz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Tim Walz<\/a> (D-MN), the politically driven accusations Waltz faced two years ago in his campaign for a House seat had no basis in reality since he was a legitimate Green Beret hero in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Afghanistan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Afghanistan<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>While Walz has ducked questions about his military claims, Waltz wanted to hit back at his critics immediately.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;A local veteran was questioning very publicly my service, and it was stolen valor, and my first instinct was to punch the guy back as hard and publicly as I could,&rdquo; Waltz said, recalling the attack during his initial bid for office in 2018 which made him the first Green Beret in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Congress\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Congress<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>&ldquo;My wife and others said, &lsquo;No, this is a time for restraint,&rsquo;&rdquo; he told <em>Secrets<\/em>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Still, it was impactful and memorable, so much so that when Waltz began writing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Warrior-Diplomat-Battles-Washington-Afghanistan\/dp\/1612346316\/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3BIF26TCUABAY&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.xRj-Ns2s2A1OGow-p4yk4coQOc0EE4_OAqwzQMQzlXoTSLIv4E6Q4xBCv0bAMxvVdSgpPjKfDq2pg9BUZvfhrByXd8aoEB-NfuTJeu25S_VpPOFxriU_lAkaJyjbGF9guyQfPcBoc1Bd3MntJr2WYKo_wVm-U_pAHfHnAfGCkgh40xETlJO6F24UonkBxmvru-GVCCFFOE8IjwwyIs749jwQBnNNck7yJVdZuRpM8L4.3rc5bZrNM7eYe88BK0ywEII_FINoMacFdt_wqrYLiyo&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=mike+waltz&amp;qid=1723816364&amp;sprefix=mike+waltz%2Caps%2C123&amp;sr=8-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>second book<\/a> about his life lessons, he started with restraint. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve seen the value of restraint. Restraint saves lives, it wins hearts and minds, and it preserves relationships with family and friends,&rdquo; he wrote in the book <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Hard-Truths-Think-Green-Beret\/dp\/1250286182\" title><em>Hard Truths: Think and Lead Like a Green Beret<\/em><\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>It is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Hard-Truths-Think-Green-Beret\/dp\/1250286182\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>due out Oct. 22<\/a> and is published by <a href=\"https:\/\/us.macmillan.com\/books\/9781250286185\/hard-truths\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>St. Martin&rsquo;s Press<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>As a soldier who fought hard to win his Army Special Forces beret and who was involved in well-known wartime events, including the search for deserter Bowe Bergdahl, restraint was a hard pill to swallow.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In a political environment where every instinct is to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/patently-absurd-rep-chip-roy-blasts-dnc-for-wanting-to-police-private-text-messages-about-covid-19\/\" title=\"\u2018Patently Absurd\u2019: Rep. Chip Roy Blasts DNC For Wanting To Police Private Text Messages About COVID-19\">hit back harder<\/a> and bigger and more publicly, sometimes restraint is the right call, and that is baked into our Green Beret training,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/waltz.house.gov\/about\/\" title>Waltz served<\/a> over 25 years in the Army. He is a retired colonel in the National Guard who has been awarded four Bronze Stars, two with valor.<\/p>\n<p>While &ldquo;lessons learned&rdquo; books from ex-military and business leaders are a dime a dozen, Waltz succeeds by using gripping stories from the battlefield to prescribe realistic lessons in a way that sticks with the reader.<\/p>\n<p>Take the chapter on loyalty. Of course, he focuses on Bergdahl. Loyalty demanded that every American in Afghanistan had to look for the soldier who walked away from his base and into the arms of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Taliban\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Taliban<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@JDVance<\/a> was joined by fellow veterans <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Jim_Banks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Jim_Banks<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BrianMastFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@BrianMastFL<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/michaelgwaltz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@michaelgwaltz<\/a> at a packed VFW Hall in Pennsylvania today to address the press on their service, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/StolenValor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#StolenValor<\/a> and anniversary of <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Afghanistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Afghanistan<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Congressman Waltz presented me with his challenge coin which doesn&#8217;t&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/p1zCRfWqhx\">pic.twitter.com\/p1zCRfWqhx<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Gunnery Sergeant Jessie Jane Duff (@JessieJaneDuff) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JessieJaneDuff\/status\/1824202292104491417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 15, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>He felt Bergdahl should be forgotten and that U.S. troops should not be required to risk their lives to save him. Waltz felt that way even more when former President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Barack-Obama\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Barack Obama<\/a> took a victory lap after Bergdahl was rescued, making the private out to be a victim.<\/p>\n<p>The lesson he pulled from that debacle was America needs to give up its &ldquo;culture of victimhood&rdquo; and that loyalty means &ldquo;the essential virtue of coming together for a cause.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The book also hits on the power of &ldquo;resilience,&rdquo; &ldquo;persistence,&rdquo; &ldquo;vigilance,&rdquo; and speaking &ldquo;truth to power.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I wrote this book because I wanted to honor some of those important attributes of the Green Berets,&rdquo; he concluded. &ldquo;We have a right, too, to expect these attributes in our national leadership.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In Afghanistan, Col. Mike Waltz interacted with leaders and children. Photo courtesy of his office<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He also wrote it to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/3122570\/vance-aims-to-revive-support-for-trump-from-veterans-seen-as-essential-to-victory\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>nudge on the growth<\/a> of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-navy-seals-running-for-congress-unite-to-defeat-nancy-pelosi\/\" title=\"Watch: Navy Seals Running for Congress Unite to Defeat Nancy Pelosi\">veterans running<\/a> for public office, something that began after President Joe Biden&rsquo;s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan three years ago this month.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SEE THE LATEST POLITICAL NEWS AND BUZZ FROM WASHINGTON SECRETS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Really, the marker was the withdrawal from Afghanistan,&rdquo; he said just days before he accompanied GOP running mate Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jd-vance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>J.D. Vance<\/a> (R-OH) on a campaign trip Thursday to one of the nation&rsquo;s largest Veterans of Foreign Wars halls to urge veterans to vote for former President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Veterans started coming out of the woodwork, saying, &lsquo;We can&rsquo;t sit on the sidelines &hellip; we&rsquo;ve got to get back involved and back engaged,&rsquo;&rdquo; he said of the surge in veterans running in 2022. &ldquo;They came out in numbers. It was great.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Rep. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/michaelgwaltz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@michaelgwaltz<\/a>: How about we have a military that is focused on being lethal again? How about we have a military that makes KICKING ASS great again?<\/p>\n<p>Do you think Xi, Putin, Kim Jong Un are going to be afraid of Kamala Harris? Look what happened in Afghanistan. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/LSkG5LDYj6\">pic.twitter.com\/LSkG5LDYj6<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TrumpWarRoom\/status\/1824092228161081422?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 15, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1730885\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1730885\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL), the first Green Beret elected to Congress, has valuable insights to share. He has experienced accusations of &#8220;stolen valor,&#8221; which are unfounded claims about military service. In contrast to the allegations against Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), the attacks on Waltz during his 2018 House campaign were baseless, as he is a genuine hero from his time in Afghanistan. While Walz has avoided addressing questions regarding his military background, Waltz was determined to respond swiftly to his detractors. He recounted an incident where a local veteran publicly questioned his service, which he deemed as stolen valor; initially, he felt compelled to retaliate aggressively but ultimately chose restraint after advice from his wife and others.<\/p>\n<p>This experience left a lasting impression on him and inspired him to emphasize restraint in his upcoming book titled &#8220;Hard Truths: Think and Lead Like a Green Beret,&#8221; set for release on October 22 by St. Martin\u2019s Press. With over 25 years of service in the Army and having earned four Bronze Stars\u2014two with valor\u2014Waltz understands that sometimes it is better not to react impulsively in a political landscape that often encourages aggressive responses.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to discussing loyalty through stories like that of Bowe Bergdahl&#8217;s desertion, Waltz&#8217;s book explores themes such as resilience, persistence, vigilance, and speaking truthfully against authority figures. He aims not only to honor these qualities associated with Green Berets but also hopes they will be expected from national leaders.<\/p>\n<p>Waltz also addresses the increasing number of veterans entering politics following President Biden\u2019s controversial withdrawal from Afghanistan three years ago\u2014a pivotal moment that motivated many veterans like himself to become more politically active and engaged again after feeling sidelined for too long<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2647,"featured_media":2325656,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Secrets-Waltz1-1024x768.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[4402,38345,38344],"class_list":["post-2325655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-congress","tag-green-beret","tag-mike-waltz"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Secrets-Waltz1-1024x768.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2325655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2647"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2325655"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2325655\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2325656"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2325655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2325655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2325655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}