I spent 21 years in the United States Navy, retiring as a Commander. An F/A-18 fighter pilot, I flew combat missions over Iraq and went on to serve at the highest levels of allied defense — as an officer on the International Military Staff at NATO Headquarters in Brussels and as Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs at U.S. European Command, working daily with the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.

I also served as a Defense Legislative Fellow on Capitol Hill, giving me a firsthand understanding of how Congress works from the inside.