Editor’s Note: The NKyTribune is offering one free op-ed postings from NKY candidates in major races in which there is opposition for the November 3 General Election. All candidates may send op-ed’s of 1000 words or less to be published before November 1. The commentary should be positive about the candidate and his/her positions. Candidates are asked not to wait until the last minute — submissions will be published in the order in which they are received.
There are moments in life when you are called to serve.
For me, that call began on a Kentucky family farm, where I learned that hard work is not something you talk about. It is something you do.
You get up before the sun rises. You take on the task in front of you alongside your family – and finish it. You take care of your family and your neighbors. And when things get tough, you don’t walk away — you have the grit to finish the job, together.
Those lessons took me from the fields of Kentucky to a career spanning three-decade as a Navy SEAL Officer, where I had the privilege of serving alongside some of the finest men and women this Nation has ever produced.
The missions changed.
The principles never did: Duty. Honor. Courage. Commitment. Teamwork. Service above self.
Prepare for the mission. Take care of your Team. Accept responsibility. Get the job done. Complete the Mission.
But I never expected my next mission would be running for Congress.
I have always believed that service is more than a responsibility. It is an obligation. And as I have traveled across Kentucky’s Fourth Congressional District — listening to business owners, farmers, veterans, community leaders, parents and working families — I have become convinced that our Nation faces challenges we cannot afford to ignore – because we have great opportunity to seize on the hope we have for the next generation.
At their core, those challenges come down to two fundamental priorities:
Security at Home. Security Abroad.
Security at home means securing our border, supporting law enforcement and keeping dangerous drugs out of our communities. It means making our neighborhoods safer and giving families confidence in the future.
But security begins at the kitchen table, too.
Economic security is National Security.
Families cannot feel secure when groceries, energy, housing and health care consume more of every paycheck. Young families cannot feel secure when homeownership keeps moving further out of reach. Businesses cannot feel secure when rising costs, unnecessary regulations and unchecked federal spending make it harder to invest, hire and grow.
Government does not create prosperity. The American people do.
Including our manufacturers, our businesses, our farmers, our entrepreneurs and our working families.
Washington’s responsibility is to create an environment where they can succeed.
That means keeping taxes low, cutting unnecessary regulations, unleashing American energy, strengthening manufacturing and agriculture, expanding opportunity for small businesses, addressing housing costs and demanding fiscal discipline from a federal government that has spent far beyond its means.
We should build things in America again.
We should grow things in America again.
We should produce our own energy again.
And we should make sure that someone willing to work hard, take a risk and build something has a fair shot at succeeding and is rewarded for it.
That is economic security.
That is the American Dream.
Security abroad requires the same clarity of purpose.
I understand what we ask of the men and women we send into harm’s way. I want America to have the strongest military on Earth—not because we seek war, but because strength can deter it: Peace through strength has long been a time proven stratgey.
Our adversaries should never question our capabilities or our resolve. Our allies should know America keeps its word. And whenever we consider putting American lives at risk, we should begin with a fundamental question: Does this advance the security and interests of the United States?
Throughout this campaign, I have talked about something more personal: Service above self.
That principle was taught to me on a farm long before I wore a uniform. It guided me through an active duty career spanning three decades of military service. And it is why I am asking for the opportunity to serve you in Congress.
Public office should never be about the person holding it. It should be about the people who sent that person there.
I have had enough titles in my life. I am not running for Congress because I need another one.
I am running because I believe our Nation — and the people of Kentucky’s Fourth District — are worth serving.
Soon, this campaign will end. The signs will come down. The commercials will stop.
But the mission will remain.
If given the privilege of representing you, I will approach that responsibility as I have every mission throughout my life:
Know the objective. Work together and take care of the team. Accept responsibility. Accomplish the mission.
I have spent the majority of my life serving this Nation.
I am asking for your vote for the opportunity to serve it once again.
Security at Home. Security Abroad. Service Above Self.
That’s the mission.
Ed Gallrein is a candidate for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional district.