Tulsi Gabbard

I'll just let that speak for itself.

Let me first just say that I've never thought of politics as a career, period.

My constant assessment and reflection for myself and my life is where and how can I best be of service.

We talked about how I was elected to the state legislature.

I was campaigning for reelection after my first term, which was two years when I was in the National Guard, enlisted because of 9-11, like a lot of people.

Our brigade combat team was activated for deployment to Iraq.

It was going to be an 18-month-long deployment.

I was in a headquarters medical unit and was not on the mandatory deployment roster.

I called my commander and said, there's no way you guys are going without me.

There's no way I'm staying home.

It took some work to make him know that I meant what I said.

He's like, oh, you can stay home.

You're doing great work in the legislature, all this other stuff.

I said, you don't understand.

I am not staying back and waving goodbye to you guys.

as you get on that plane.

So I suspended my reelection campaign.

Wow.

They found a job that needed filling in what was called the Charlie Med, the medical company in that brigade combat team.

I got trained for that job that they needed filling, was logistics and operations, essentially.