You’ve probably heard it somewhere, and you’ve been asking, why did Ron Desantis get a Bronze Star? Ron has been the talk of town since he announced his presidential bid. He earned his way through Yale University, graduating as baseball team captain with honors.
He also attended Harvard Law School and graduated with honors where he earned working as a JAG officer in the US Navy.
(On a side note, can you get paid to homeschool your child in pennsylvania?)
Additionally, he provided support in the administration of the terrorist detention facility located at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
The Iraq Campaign Medal is among the honors bestowed upon him in recognition of his services. Let’s find out where he got the bronze medal from.
Why Did Ron Desantis Get A Bronze Star
DeSantis’s campaign website had this, “During his active duty service, he advised the US Navy SEAL commander in Iraq to support the SEAL mission in Fallujah, Ramadi, and the Al Anbar province. He also supported operations at the terrorist detention center at Guantanamo Bay.”
DeSantis reportedly received a bronze star medal for exemplary service from October 2007 to April 2008.
Ron DeSantis’s Navy Career
Given the number of Republican candidates vying for the top seat, DeSantis was the only one with military experience. His status as a military veteran distinguishes him from former President Donald Trump, who obtained a deferment from the draft during the time of the Vietnam War.
Most presidential candidates have personal experience of having a family member in the armed forces.
The Marines have jurisdiction over the spouse of Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who is with the National Guard. In contrast, the son of former Vice President Mike Pence is a Marine.
President Joe Biden frequently recalls his late son Beau’s service in Afghanistan. However, Desnatis was the only candidate who wore the military uniform.
As recounted in DeSantis’s anthology “The Courage to be Free,” he contemplated a military career rather than pursuing a legal career in the business world at Harvard.
Recruiters advised against enrolling in the military but to attend a specialized institution that combined service and a law degree. He attained employment as a JAG officer in the US Navy.
According to the available data, DeSantis oversaw foreign internal defense operations, special reconnaissance, intelligence, and special operations between 2007 and 2008.
Despite DeSantis’ military being discussed everywhere, much remains unclear regarding his time in the armed forces. A brief excerpt from his book covers his military service.
Before announcing his bid for the presidency, questions regarding DeSantis’s tenure at Guantanamo Bay persisted.
He was asked at a news conference in Israel if he supported the practice of force-feeding prisoners. He has categorically rejected the claims.
“I was a junior officer.” DeSantis told Piers Morgan, “I lacked the authority to authorize anything.”
DeSantis stated during his campaign that the tragic terrorist assaults of September 11, 2001, influenced his decision to join the Navy.
When the World Trade Center buildings were attacked, he was a history instructor at a private residential school in Rome, Georgia.
In June, during a campaign rally in Gilbert, South Carolina, DeSantis told the crowd, “I believed that, you know, as an American, I had to do my part, no matter how small.”
DeSantis joined the Joint Force Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility in 2006, where he oversaw the confinement of survivors of the 9/11 attacks from the War on Terror. Significantly, he utilized this portion of his service record during his inaugural campaign for Congress in 2012.
Republicans criticized President Barack Obama at the time for promising to close the notorious prison.
However, in his most recent book, DeSantis refers to that period in a single sentence: “temporary duty travel assignments.”
DeSantis traveled to Fallujah, Iraq, with Seal Team One in 2007. The deployment constituted a component of the “surge” of forces President G. W. Bush initiated.
DeSantis returned to the US in 2008, where he served as the United States attorney for the Middle District of Florida’s assistant. He retired with honor from active service in 2010 and was in the Naval Reserves upto to when he assumed the Florida governor role in 2019.
Presidential Ambition
DeSantis’s national political career took off after he confronted cultural differences in Florida. His life narrative was also becoming more well-known among voters.
If elected, DeSantis would have become the first president with a military background since George H. W. Bush.
Bill Clinton infamously evaded the draft during the Vietnam War. Although he was a Texas Air National Guard member, Bush never left the country.
Obama appeared to have never seriously considered enlisting in the military, and at the time, he was too young to serve in Vietnam.
Donald Trump was missing from Vietnam action while waiting for a purported diagnosis of a bone spur.
Subsequently, he disclosed to Howard Stern that during the 1960s and 1970s, avoiding sexually transmitted diseases was his “personal Vietnam.”
Joe Biden delayed attending classes on five separate occasions before his 1968 disqualification from duty for childhood asthma.
DeSantis has used his time in the service to demonstrate his character to electors in previous elections. In 2012, one of his campaign websites featured the text “Veteran. Citizen. Not a politician.”
During his 2018 Florida governor campaign, he generated considerable attention by recounting his Bronze Star-awarded tour of Fallujah.
DeSantis outlined his intention to reform the nation’s military operations in his second significant campaign policy statement.
“Ripping Political Agendas Out of Our Military” is one of the four principles that underpin “Mission First.” “Restoring Military Standards,” “Breaking the Swamp and Promoting Accountability,” and “Turning the Tide on Biden’s Military Recruitment Crisis” are a few examples.
The strategy targets individuals responsible for overseeing diversity, inclusion, and equality, in addition to regulations about transgender personnel in the military.
DeSantis claims that civilian leaders have instructed the military to seek out political theory and social experimentation.
The military has succumbed to the “woke mind infection” that infects other facets of American society. He made this remark at a South Carolina campaign rally.
“This is modifying the personality and culture of the military, repelling intelligent personnel, and resulting in a record-low recruitment rate.”
DeSantis has not discussed his previous military experience in his recent presidential campaign, and it remains unclear.
He dislikes discussing his personal life, however, and is considered to be an extremely private individual. DeSantis has for years refused to discuss the untimely demise of his sister in 2015.
At the onset of the Republican primary contests, street notoriety and a reputation for bravery, altruism, and patriotism would have given him the upper edge.
Ron DeSantis’s campaign would have ensured that every US voter is aware of at least one fact about him: he wore the uniform when his country required him.
“Being a veteran provides you a slight advantage over any candidate in any race,” said Russ Duerstine, Concerned Veterans for America executive director.
Having supported DeSantis for governor in 2018, this organization is expected to do so for his presidential ambitions.
Desantis Drops Presidential Bid
In 2012, the residents of Florida’s 6th Congressional District voted for DeSantis. He has gained national recognition in recent times for his leadership qualities.
He opposed diversity and equity initiatives in public colleges, opposed public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, and forwarded illegal immigrants to progressive states.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis withdrew his candidacy for the Republican nomination through a video he posted on X.
His robust right-wing policies in his state garnered considerable attention and established him as an early favorite to secure the presidency in 2024.
His statement follows his second-place finish in the Iowa Republican caucuses the previous week.
“I would do anything to improve the results, including conducting additional interviews and campaign visits. Until we have a clear path to victory, I cannot expect our supporters to donate their time and money. As a result, I am suspending my campaign today,” stated DeSantis.
Following DeSantis’ withdrawal from the contest for the Republican presidential nomination, this leaves former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley and Trump.
DeSantis campaigned on the fact that he has no federal charges or indictments. He would be in a stronger position to implement the same initiatives that Trump would support.
He pledged to eliminate the term “wokeism,” which he frequently used to disparage liberal policies. He wanted to secure a decisive victory in the election and carry out the demands of the Republican Party, as he asserts he did in Florida.
“While I disagree with Donald Trump on the Coronavirus outbreak and his decision to promote Anthony Fauci, Trump is superior to Joe Biden,” he expressed his support for Trump.
“I have pledged my support to the Republican candidate and intend to honor that commitment. I will support him because I do not believe we can return to the Republican guard of the past, which Nikki Haley merely repackaged as corporatism,” he said.
Conclusion
Why did Ron Desantis get a Bronze Star? The former presidential aspirant has a military background.
Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley is the sole alternative candidate after Trump following Desantis withdrawal. She has little time to gain support and close the gap with the leader as Desantis supports Trump.
DeSantis came to his decision after days of deliberation with donors. It became abundantly apparent over the weekend that his team was financially and informationally deficient.
His failure to meet the elevated expectations for his campaign has already engendered a surge of skepticism among his closest advisers and supporters. This is an enormous setback for the Republican star, who was already a favorite among voters.
