Letter to the Editor: Men Like Adam Cook Make a Real Difference

Editor's Note:  The following op-ed was submitted to Fredericksburg Patch by Claudia Kennedy, and it appears unedited in its entirety.  Letters to the Editor may be submitted by email to Susan.Larson@patch.com.

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Adam Cook bravely served our country, and his service is highly relevant to the work of Congress. We stand behind that service -- and the service of all veterans -- because we have observed firsthand how the strengths, skills, and leadership qualities gained through military service successfully transition both to the private and public sector post-service.

The editorial board at the Free Lance-Star apparently disagrees.

In their endorsement of Rob Wittman for Congress in the First Congressional District, we found the Board’s commentary regarding Wittman’s challenger and Afghanistan war veteran, Adam Cook, to be deeply offensive. To characterize Major Cook’s almost decade-long service as a military prosecutor, who served in harm’s way in order to protect his country, as someone who desires to “marry Marilyn Monroe but should have a few dates first” – as though his military experience counts for nothing -- will offend every veteran, and every person who respects the service of veterans.

That should be all of us.

We can point to countless examples of veterans who’ve had distinguished careers in Congress without running for local elected office as a first step, including Virginia’s own Senator Jim Webb, Congressman Joe Sestak (the highest ranking veteran to serve in Congress) and Congressman Patrick Murphy, an Iraq war veteran - all known for their bipartisan leadership in the U.S. Senate and House. As a more extreme example, would anyone suggest that Dwight Eisenhower should have returned home to Abilene, Kansas to get a few “dates” under his belt by running for local office before running for President?

Probably not.

We’ve all had a great opportunity to get to know Adam over the past few months. Some of us recently traveled with him across the district as part of his “Veterans and Military Families Tour”, and we wholeheartedly agree with the Board’s comments on a couple of things: We encourage Adam to stay in politics because his country needs young leaders like him, and we agree that Adam is a “bright and high minded young man”.

But unlike the Board, we don’t agree that running for Congress is like some sort of dating game. These are serious times for our country, and we find Adam Cook’s keen legal mind and nearly a decade’s worth of military experience directly relevant to the vital work of Congress. Also unlike the Board, we find men and women with broader experience outside of politics the most likely to make a real difference.

Men like Jim Webb, Patrick Murphy and Joe Sestak. Men like Adam Cook.

LTG Claudia Kennedy, USA (Ret.)
MG James A. Kelley, USA (Ret.)
LT. COL. John D. Jenkins, USA (Ret.)
COL. BJ Thornburg, USA (Ret.)
LTC Kenneth L. Robinson, USA (Ret.)
LTC Michael Lovitt, USA (Ret.)
CPT Justin Graf, USA (Ret.)
PO1 Velma Pridemore, USN (Ret.)
SSGT Rissa Joos, USAF (Ret.)