Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard left for Alaska on Thursday to begin a two-week deployment with the Hawaii National Guard.
Gabbard, who ran a failed campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in the 2020 cycle, is helping Alaska Natives address various issues, including healthcare, construction, transportation, and cybersecurity. Gabbard has been in Hawaii’s Army National Guard for 17 years, including two deployments to the Middle East.
Gabbard said her congressional staff will continue to manage her office and assist constituents while she is away for two weeks fulfilling her annual Army Reserve commitment. The congresswoman has had several brief deployments while in office, including a two-week deployment to Indonesia that took place just before a Democratic primary debate last year.
While most of Joe Biden’s 2020 competitors were invited back to speak during the Democratic National Convention, Gabbard said on Thursday that she was “not invited to participate in any way.”
Gabbard’s deployment is part of the Defense Department’s Innovative Readiness Training, a program that allows military personnel to receive training while benefiting high-need communities in the United States.
Gabbard has held her seat since 2013, but her tenure in Congress is about to end. She chose not to seek reelection this year as she focused on her presidential campaign. Kai Kahele won the Democratic primary for Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District earlier this month.
