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#VetInspired Energizes the 2016 Presidential Campaign

Posted July 15, 2016 by Bill Rausch

Got Your 6’s #VetInspired campaign is uniting veterans, the military community, and the American public as we elect a new Commander in Chief.

From the forests of Western Europe to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, over the decades U.S. service members have fought to liberate and bring democracy to hundreds of millions of people across the world. To highlight the value of veterans as civic and community leaders, the veteran empowerment organization Got Your 6 is bringing its #VetInspired campaign to the 2016 Presidential Campaign, starting with the Republican and Democratic National Conventions.

Got Your 6’s #VetInspired campaign upholds the service, sacrifice, and stories of our uniformed personnel as a call to action in the U.S. electoral process. Got Your 6 will attend the Republican and Democratic National Conventions to remind all Americans that — no matter their political affiliation — there is no better way to honor our veterans than by participating in the very electoral process that our brothers and sisters in arms sacrificed to defend.

CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES:

• To educate the country about the value of veterans as civic assets.
• To engage the candidates on issues of importance to the veteran and military communities.
• To compel veterans to participate in the electoral process as voters, community leaders, and candidates themselves.
• To leverage the service and experience of veterans and military personnel as inspiration for all Americans to vote.

CHALLENGE TO VETERANS AND THE MILITARY COMMUNITY:
As veterans and civic assets, we have a responsibility to call the country to action this November by:

1. Participating in the electoral process — whether it be by registering and committing to vote, volunteering for a campaign, or running for state or local office.
2. Engaging candidates on policy issues that impact the lives and welfare of veterans and military service members. Any candidate running for federal, state, or local office should be challenged to clearly define their policy stances on issues of importance to veterans.
3. Educating the country about the value of veterans as civic assets.Veterans may have taken off the uniform but their commitment to service has not faltered. Veterans vote at higher rates, volunteer more, and participate in their communities at rates higher than their civilian counterparts. It’s time we change the narrative of the damaged veteran by showcasing and highlighting actual veteran leaders serving their communities.

CHALLENGE TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC:
Got Your 6 challenges each and every American to honor the sacrifice of veterans by participating in the democratic process by:

1. Registering and voting in November. No matter your background or political leanings, we can all unite in the goal of increasing the political engagement of our citizens. In January 2005, 80 percent of registered Iraqis went to the polls to vote in the first national election after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Images were beamed around the world of Iraqi voters holding up their ink-stained fingers as a sign of pride and hope for the future. Despite our national commitment to spreading the institution of democracy to others, America’s voting turnout was a paltry 54 percent of the eligible voting public in November 2012. We can and should do better.
2. Encouraging real debate on policy issues that impact the lives and welfare of veterans and military service members. Civilians have a responsibility to challenge candidates to outline their plans for supporting and empowering our veterans.

Bill Rausch is an Iraq War veteran and executive director of Got Your 6.