From the cockpit to the Texas statehouse
One* of the men who wants to be your next commander-in-chief is touting his Air Force experience.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry has been stumping across Iowa lately. He proudly presents his conservative bona fides: He loves guns (and packs heat while jogging). He really doesn’t like same-sex marriage. He likes pardoning death-row criminals even less.
He also likes to tell voters about his military service: He earned a commission in the Air Force, became a C-130 pilot and left four years later as a captain.**
That experience provides one reason why Perry wants to unseat President Barack Obama next November.
“One of the powerful reasons that I’m running for the presidency of the United States is to make sure that every young man and woman who puts on the uniform of this country respects highly the president of the United States,” Perry said during an Iowa speech, according to the Houston Chronicle.
* — And before the angry emails come pouring in: Yes, I’m aware that Ron Paul served in the Air Force too. But this ain’t his first time seeking the nomination.
** — Presidential trivia time: Perry or Paul could become the first person to serve in the active-duty Air Force and later became commander-in-chief. Ronald Reagan served in the Army Air Forces, and George W. Bush served in the Air National Guard.
