Hawai’i Veteran Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo Returns Home to Serve
HONOLULU – July 5, 2010 – Former state lawmaker and recently returned veteran, Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo, announced today that she will run for Honolulu City Council District 6 (Downtown Honolulu, Punchbowl, Liliha, Pauoa Valley, Nu’uanu, Alewa Heights, Papakolea, Kalihi Valley, and portions of Makiki).
Tulsi said, “Growing up on Pahulu Street in Kalihi Valley, my parents taught us kids the importance of service—that serving others and making a positive impact on people’s lives is the most rewarding thing you can do with your life. I took this to heart, and have tried to live my life centered around this service attitude.”
“After serving overseas in the military, and working with U.S. Senator Akaka in Washington, DC,” Gabbard Tamayo said, “I am so happy to be home, and am honored to offer myself to serve our community once again, on the Honolulu City Council.”
Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo has a record of proven leadership from a very young age, and has continued to succeed in many areas. In 2002 at the age of 21, she became the youngest legislator ever elected in Hawaii’s history when she won her election as State Representative. Since that time, she has risen to the rank of 1st Lieutenant in the Hawai’i Army National Guard, earning top awards and accolades in training and in combat while serving on two Middle East deployments (2004-2006 and 2008-2009). Additionally, she worked as a Legislative Aide to U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka in Washington D.C., where she assisted him with issues relating to veterans affairs, energy and natural resources, and homeland security.
Gabbard Tamayo continued, “In these tough times, we are all concerned about making sure our neighborhoods are safe for our kids to grow up in, creating jobs, improving our economy, and ensuring honesty and transparency in government. Through my service in the military, in Washington, D.C., and in the State Legislature, I have experienced that challenges can be overcome when we set aside our differences, and work together for the common good. It is in this spirit that I am humbly offering to serve on the City Council.”
Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo came home after her 2nd tour of duty in the Middle East with the Hawai'i Army National Guard on August 18th. As a First Lieutenant, Tulsi served as a military police officer and led a platoon of 33 soldiers and conducted a variety of security missions, as well as training with the Kuwait National Guard. Tulsi is now getting some well-deserved rest & relaxation and she is planning her next step. We're very proud of her, and all the 1,700 returning warriors of the 29th Brigade Combat Team and thank them for their service to our state and country.
A ceremony was held on April 1, 2007 to commission Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo into the Hawaii Army National Guard, and pin her with her new rank of Second Lieutenant.
Tulsi was elected to the Hawaii State House of Representatives in 2002, at 21 years old, becoming the youngest legislator ever elected in Hawaii. She enlisted in the Hawaii Army National Guard in 2003, and shipped off to boot camp shortly after the legislative session was complete. As she campaigned for re-election in 2004, the 29th Brigade Combat Team was activated for a combat tour in Iraq. Even though not personally called up for duty, Tulsi knew that she could not stay behind. She volunteered to deploy with the 29th BCT and withdrew from her re-election campaign.
More recently, she completed 60 days of rigorous training at the Alabama Military Academy's Officer Candidate School. The training was physically and mentally tough, with virtually no contact with the outside world. Out of 155 graduates from 42 states, Tulsi received awards as the Distinguished Honor Graduate, due to her being at the overall top of her class in leadership evaluations, academics, physical fitness, and peer evaluations. Tulsi also made history by becoming the first female Distinguished Honor Graduate in the Alabama Military Academy's 50 year history.
A
ceremony was held on April 1, 2007 to commission Tulsi Gabbard
Tamayo into the Hawaii Army National Guard, and pin her with her
new rank of Second Lieutenant.
Tulsi was elected to the Hawaii State House of Representatives
in 2002, at 21 years old, becoming the youngest legislator ever
elected in Hawaii. She enlisted in the Hawaii Army National Guard
in 2003, and shipped off to boot camp shortly after the legislative
session was complete. As she campaigned for re-election in 2004,
the 29th Brigade Combat Team was activated for a combat tour in
Iraq. Even though not personally called up for duty, Tulsi knew
that she could not stay behind. She volunteered to deploy with
the 29th BCT and withdrew from her re-election campaign.
More
recently, she completed 60 days of rigorous training at the Alabama
Military Academy's Officer Candidate School. The training was
physically and mentally tough, with virtually no contact with
the outside world. Out of 155 graduates from 42 states, Tulsi
received awards as the Distinguished Honor Graduate, due to her
being at the overall top of her class in leadership evaluations,
academics, physical fitness, and peer evaluations. Tulsi also
made history by becoming the first female Distinguished Honor
Graduate in the Alabama Military Academy's 50 year history.
Tulsi felt
very proud and yet humbled by the experience, and by the show
of support for her commissioning. She said, "I learned so
much from being trained by the best the Army has, and look forward
to what lies ahead as a leader in the Hawaii Army National Guard."
She continued, "Being a leader of soldiers carries a great
amount of responsibility. You are responsible for soldiers' lives.
This is a responsibility that I take very seriously."
Senator Daniel
K. Akaka and his wife, Millie, were present to assist Mike and
Carol Gabbard with the pinning of the Second Lieutenant rank.
State Adjutant
General Robert Lee swore Tulsi in, reciting the Oath of Office,
and spoke to the audience about the modern mission of the Hawaii
Army National Guard, and what it means to serve as a young leader
in today's Army
The end of January 2006 brought Tulsi and all our brave Hawaii
soldiers back home to us. Her homecoming brought to close a long
year of mixed emotions in our family. Every day we thought about
Tulsi, what she was doing, where she was, how many mortars came
into the camp that day, etc. Every time she told us she was flying
to Baghdad on a Blackhawk, our hearts froze until we knew she
had completed her mission and was back at her camp. We did our
best to hide our worries from Tulsi, to ensure that her head was
clear and so she wouldn't worry about us too much.
Seeing Tulsi and the 250+ other
soldiers standing tall in the hangar at Kalaeloa Air Field, their
eyes wandering through the crowd looking for their respective
families, the sun gently rising in the background, and the National
Anthem playing, I was so proud to be the father of a brave American
soldier.
It was a long year for us, but
we are so proud of Tulsi and our other soldiers for what they
accomplished in the Middle East. They played a part in making
history in Iraq . They represented our state very well. They completed
the mission, and came home. Our deepest condolences go out to
the families of the 29th BCT soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice
for our country and freedom, and in our hearts, we share their
pain.
MAY GOD BLESS OUR SOLDIERS AND MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA
