There are 95 veterans currently in Congress, including 76 in the House of Representatives. Those veterans, including 19 first-time lawmakers, serve their country in a different way now than they did when they wore a uniform.
I am one of those veterans.
My combined military and Department of Defense life (26 years combined active service, DoD contractor, CEO, and senior consultant at the Pentagon) has shaped me as a husband, father, leader, follower, combatant, entrepreneur and, now, congressman. It also provided me a chance to sharpen my humor and blunt my astonishment at what is sometimes inconceivable lunacy. That being said, these 10 rules or “lessons learned” as a military man help me get through and inform my actions as a representative of the Virginia’s 5th Congressional District:
1. Family is the most important thing in life. Nothing comes close.
2. You’ve been in fights … fighting hurts. Get used to it.
3. Don’t suffer self-promoters — the extremely loud and the extremely ignorant live in the same space.
4. Don’t let the pissants crawl up your combat boots. They don’t affect anything.
5. The good of the unit overrides the good of self. And, sometimes, ideology loses to practicality and common sense.
6. Compromise with integrity is OK. Compromise as a coward is not OK.
7. Sometimes, you’re wrong. Admit it, apologize with sincerity, and move on.
8. Never back down from a bully. Stand up. See rule #2.
9. There is a famous Gen. George Patton quote: “A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week.” In other terms, don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
10. Sacrifice made this country great. Fighting for something greater than yourself is the ultimate act of universal service. Character matters.
I haven’t been in politics for long, and I still cringe when someone calls me a politician. I am in Congress to serve, not to play political games. I see the role of congressman as more of a “citizen legislator” or “servant leader” than a politician. I am humbled that the voters of James Madison’s district would choose me to represent them, and I hope to prove myself worthy of their trust.
The military made me the man I am today. I’m proud of that. It taught me to work within a team, to see the colors red, white, and blue and not white, black, and brown. It also strengthened my decision-making as an individual, knowing that the “team” counted on my judgment and expertise. And, I learned how to sometimes make those decisions with guns aimed at my chest.
Service before self, fighting for ideals I believe in: Those are the reasons I ran for Congress in the first place.
When confronted by bullies while building our family’s second business venture, it became apparent that corporate cronies were picking winners and losers. After four years of my wife and I trying to fight alone, using our own treasure and time to change insidious tax laws and regulatory overreach, a well-meaning individual sat me down and said, “You have to get in the fight. If you’re not at the dinner table, you’re on the menu.”
Now that I am in Congress, I try to be a voice for the people — not for corporations or bullies. I have taken lessons learned on the campaign trail and used them to shape my objectives in Congress. In the southern part of my district, Southside Virginia, there is a desperate need for broadband internet. Increasing access to this necessary good is a centerpiece of what I am doing in Washington. I have joined the Rural Broadband Caucus, and my district is hosting a workshop for the Federal Re-Connect program that helps local communities apply for grants.
I am also committed to combating the opioid crisis that affects both veterans and many people in my district. I am a leader on the Freshman Working Group on Addiction, a bipartisan effort to promote policies to end the addiction crisis in this country.
I know some people in my district will disagree with some of my votes, but I want people to understand why I vote how I do. My reasoning is found in my experience as a veteran and the 10 rules outlined above. Sometimes, we will get in fights, and sometimes, we will compromise — but I promise I will always vote my conscience and in the best interest of the district as a whole. Our political environment is difficult and contentious, but we can fix it if we listen to each other and try to have reasonable debate.
Rep. Denver Riggleman, a Republican, represents Virginia’s 5th Congressional District. He served in the Air Force at McGuire AFB, Mountain Home AFB, and later at Fort Meade.
