If you are a Hawaii resident or keen follower of Presidential elections, you must have come across her and wondered, “What did Tulsi Gabbard do in the military?”
Many politicians have a military background, so, unsurprisingly, it was a start for Tulsi Gabbard. Most people view the military as the ultimate show of patriotism and service for one’s country, and Tulsi shared this opinion.
But what part of the military did she serve in, and what were her duties? Here is all the information you need to understand this topic;
What Did Tulsi Gabbard Actually Do In The Military
Tulsi Gabbard has been a part of the Hawaii Army National Guard since April 2003, and she went for two deployments, one in Iraq and another in Kuwait.
She was a Specialist in a Medical Company, the 29th Support Battalion in the 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Her team offered medical services and support to soldiers on the field until she entered the reserves.
Tulsi Gabbard Military Career
Tulsi Gabbard had an exciting tenure in the military that has played a crucial role in propelling her political career, so it is essential to understand it. Her outstanding Military career commenced in 2003 in the Hawaii State Legislature.
She enlisted into the Hawaii Army National Guard in April 2003 and was deployed to Iraq in July. Tulsi served as a specialist in the medical Company of the 29th Support Battalion, and her first tour was extended for 12 months.
She completed her Iraq tour in 2005 after serving at Logistical Support Area Anaconda. She dropped her pursuits for the State Legislature because of her deployment, so her political career stopped during her military service.
Tulsi went to Alabama Military Academy when she returned to the United States and was an outstanding student. She graduated from the Officer Candidate School in March of 2007, upon which she was commissioned as a second lieutenant.
She was assigned to her former team, the 29th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, as an Army Military Police officer.
In this post, she was stationed in Kuwait between 2008 and 2009, making her one of the first women to enter the Kuwaiti military facility.
Tulsi was also the first woman to get an appreciation award from the Kuwait National Guard. She also received other commendations, including the Meritorious Service Medal and the Combat Medical Badge.
She was Captain until October 2015, when she was promoted to Major in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, a landmark for the Hawaii National Guard. She continued her military service in the Hawaii Army National Guard until 2020.
She was then transferred to the 351st Civil Affairs Command, a US Army Reserves Unit stationed in California. Tulsi had a distinguished military career but ended up in some controversy towards the end of 2018.
She posted a video on her Facebook campaign page which didn’t comply with the military ethics guidelines. Her campaign team took the video down and further stated that the image did not insinuate an endorsement by the military.
This was the second time the situation had occurred as it happened in a previous Congressional campaign by Gabbard.
A spokeswoman for Tulsi Gabbard confirmed that they would work closely with the DOD to prevent such mistakes from happening in the future.
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Tulsi Gabbard’s Early Life and Education
Tulsi Gabbard was the second last born in a family of five children born to Carol and Mike Gabbard. She was born on April 12th, 1981, in Ma’oputasi County on Tutuila island. She was two years old when her family moved to Hawaii, and she spent the rest of her life there.
Tulsi had Samoan and European parentage that created a multicultural home that shaped her career and interests.
Her mother was born in Indiana and grew up in Michigan, while her dad was born in America Samoa and grew up in Hawaii.
Her mom was a practicing Hindu, so she gave her children Hindu names. Gabbard’s name, Tulsi, is a variation of Tulasi in Sanskrit, related to the Hindu manifestation of a Goddess, Tulasi.
Vaishnava Hindu customs greatly influenced Tulsi in her childhood; she was raised with the SIF teachings. According to her, Mr. Butler, the SIF leader, was like a priest for Vaishnava Hinduism and a guide to many of her choices.
Several sources suggest that Tulsi Gabbard was home-schooled all her life, save for the two years she spent in SIF girl school. As a teenager, she settled into her Hindu religion and lived based on its customs.
Her father was an active member of the society that sounded many programs, and Gabbard participated in several of them. She was a part of SUFA(Stand Up For America), which was launched following the 9-11 attacks.
Her father also started the Alliance for Traditional Marriage and Values, which was a political action committee against gay marriage. Tulsi was a part of this organization between 1988 and 2004.
She was also an educator in the Healthy Hawaii coalition and worked as a self-employed martial arts instructor in 2002. She went to Leeward Community College to study Television Production but dropped out and opted for a political career.
She ran for her first office in 2002, the Hawaii House of Representatives, and her background and beliefs gave her the win.
She later returned to school in 2009, Hawaii Pacific University, where she graduated with a degree in Business Administration.
Overview of Tulsi Gabbard’s Political Career
Tulsi Gabbard is more renowned for her political career than her military career, so it is important to recognize her journey.
She started her career early and her beliefs and upbringing significantly influenced her political standings and ambition.
One of the most impressive things about her is that she is the first Hindu and Samoan-American voting Congress member of Congress. This makes her the perfect minority representative, but it is only the tip of the iceberg.
Tulsi Gabbard started her career in the Hawaii House of Representatives in 2002 when she was just 21, and she served for a short time before enlisting.
She joined the Hawaii Army National Guard and went to Iraq for a year, then another in Kuwait before returning.
She stopped her political career during her active military service years, and when she came back, she ran for a spot in Congress and won. While in Congress, she was the vice chair of the DNC (Democratic National Committee).
She held the position from 2013 to 2016, when she resigned and backed Bernie Sanders’ Presidential nomination for the Democrat slot. Tulsi Gabbard is and always has been a very public and critical figure.
She constantly appeared on Fox during her tenure in Congress, where she criticized Barrack Obama’s administration.
She was remarkably open about her disapproval of the administration’s refusal to declare radical Islam as the real enemy of the United States.
Tulsi Gabbard had an unsuccessful presidential campaign where she pointed out her disagreement with US military intervention in foreign conflicts.
She insisted on cutting down international military activity but often referred to herself as a “hawk” on terrorism.
She had a falling out with most Democrats when she decided to meet with Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian President. This happened since there were allegations that Bashar had used chemical weapons, and Tulsi was skeptical of them.
Gabbard ended her presidential candidacy attempts in March 2020 and endorsed Joe Biden. In January of the following year she was succeeded by Kai Kahele in her role as House Representative.
After her withdrawal from the Democrat Party, Gabbard started to push the more conservative positions she was raised in.
She retained conservative positions on matters of border security, transgender rights, and abortion. Gabbard pushed for the Parental Rights in Education Act, and she gave a speech at the 2022 CPAC.
Even after her tenure as Congresswoman ended, she constantly appeared on Fox News as a guest or host. She is sometimes the fill-in for Tucker Carlson Tonight, and with time, she became a paid contributor for the Fox network.
Following her shift in ideology, Gabbard announced that she was officially leaving the Democratic Party in October of 2022. She cited their differences in foreign policy and social concerns as the main reasons she left.
She hasn’t officially connected herself to another political party, but all indications are she will go Republican. She has endorsed and campaigned for several Republicans in the midterm, and most people think she will join the party soon enough.
Conclusion
That is all the information you need on her political career and the question, “What did Tulsi Gabbard actually do in the military?”
Tulsi Gabbard is a well-known figure in the democratic party, and she was an Advent supporter until she stepped aside for Joe Biden.
Tulsi served in a special medical unit in Iraq, providing medical help and support for soldiers in active combat. She was an outstanding soldier with medals from the US Army and Kuwaiti National Guard as proof of years of dedication and hard work.
