This is Jocko Podcast number 504 with Echo Charles and me, Jocco Willink.

Good evening, Echo.

Good evening.

The presence of veterans in legislative bodies is not merely symbolic.

Veterans bring to politics a distinct understanding of national interest, discipline,

and a sense of responsibility shaped by their military service.

Their experience instills an ability to deliberate on matters of war and peace, security,

and the burdens borne by citizens in uniform.

When those who have sworn to defend the nation's laws also help make them,

the healthy integration of military and civilian spheres is enhanced,

strengthening the very fabric of democratic governance. The statesman who has also been a soldier

is armed not only with theories of national security, but with the tested realities of service and sacrifice.

His judgment about the requirements of policy is tempered by direct knowledge of the

cost of war and the limits of force.

Military experience does not guarantee wisdom, but it provides an anchor against illusion and an appreciation

for the discipline, unity, and responsibility that preserve a free society.

And those right there are some quotes from a book called The Soldier and the State written by Samuel P. Huntington, who graduated from Yale, served in the army at the tail end of World War II, got a master's degree from the University of Chicago, a PhD from Harvard, and eventually became one of America's most influential political scientists and theorists. his thoughts that I just read about the importance of veterans in our government are just as important then as they are now going from the military into the government provides a link between both of those

and grounds them both in reality.

It's an honor to have one of those veterans leaders

here with us tonight to discuss his experiences

on the battlefield and now in the political world

in the halls of Congress. His name is Wesley Hunt.

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