No Result
View All Results
Reserve & National Guard
SUBSCRIBE FREE
No Result
View All Results
Reserve & National Guard
SUBSCRIBE FREE
Reserve & National Guard

Veterans use halls of Congress to continue service to military community

Stephen Ruiz
by Stephen Ruiz
December 1, 2020
Salud Carbujal served in the Marine Corps Reserve.

Salud Carbujal served in the Marine Corps Reserve.

Rep. Salud Carbajal now walks the halls of the US Capitol, carrying reminders of the little boy whose family immigrated to America from Mexico with him along the way. 

The youngest of seven children, Carbajal gleaned important life lessons from the sacrifices made by his parents. Carbajal went on to serve eight years in the Marine Corps Reserve and is seeking a third term as a Democratic congressman from California.  

The twin pillars of his family and the military shaped his value system, Carbajal said.  

“My brother was active-duty Marines, and that had a big influence on me before I joined,’’ said Carbajal, who rose to the rank of sergeant. “The second reason [I enlisted] was that as an immigrant, you can’t help but to think of ways that you can pay back your ticket and the loyalty for the opportunity that this country’s given you.’’  

Carbajal turned 56 in November, two weeks after the general election. It has been nearly three decades since he was mobilized to North Carolina during the Gulf War in 1992. He was part of a combat replacement battalion but never went overseas.  

Carbajal sits on the House Armed Services Committee. In 2017, the newly-elected representative spearheaded the awarding of a $975,000 grant for veterans fighting substance-abuse and mental-health issues in his district, which includes Santa Barbara. Carbajal also has backed legislation to curb homelessness among veterans.   

(Right) Col. Britt Hurst, 39th Air Base Wing Commander, greets Republican Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) upon his arrival at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. Rep. Panetta visited Incirlik to view the bases mission but to also have lunch and to talk with Airmen from his state.

Carbajal is a member of the For Country Caucus, a bipartisan group of 21 veterans in Congress seeking to bridge the divide across the political aisle. Reps. Don Bacon (R-Nebraska) and Jimmy Panetta (D-California) serve as co-chairmen of the caucus. Bacon is an Air Force veteran, and Panetta, the son of former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, was in the Navy Reserve.  

“As a veteran, having served gives you a broader perspective that transcends politics when at all possible,’’ Carbajal said. “That’s helped me forge a great relationship [with] both Democrats and Republicans that comes from those values of the military man, that you’re not always looking for the partisan angle, rather, ‘What’s in the best interest of our country?’’’  

Scott McGolpin, the director of public works for Santa Barbara County, served with Carbajal in the reserves. He witnessed the impact that Carbajal had on other reservists then and when he served as the county’s first district supervisor.  

Carbajal’s approach to trying to improve his constituents’ lives is rare, McGolpin said.  

“People don’t really think of government as being customer service, per se, and one of his mantras was, ‘Outstanding customer service every time,’’’ McGolpin said. “He drove that into an organization of 4,200 people. That stuck with me.’’  

Carbajal was born in Moreleon, Mexico. His family immigrated to Arizona, where his father worked in an underground copper mine. The family moved to Oxnard, California, about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Carbajal’s dad found a job as a farmworker while his mother ran the household despite battling a deliberating disease that deformed her hands. (Roughly 1.3 million Americans have rheumatoid arthritis.) Carbajal described his mother as the family’s “air traffic controller’’ and his father as “one of the hardest-working individuals with the highest integrity that I ever met.’’ 

“My mother and father were a great duo,’’ he said.  

Their influence rubbed off on their son. McGolpin recalled the time his unit was training in Hawaii. Carbajal wanted to do something special for the other Marines, so he organized a special tour aboard Chinook helicopters, McGolpin said.  

For 1½ hours, the Marines were treated to a wondrous view of the island.  

“[Veterans] just want them and their families to be taken care of and to be respected and to receive equal opportunities like everyone else,’’ Carbajal said.  

Read comments
Tags: CongressDon BaconFor Country CaucusHouse Armed Services CommitteeJimmy PanettaMarine Corps ReserveSalud CarbajalScott McGolpinVeterans
Stephen Ruiz

Stephen Ruiz

Stephen Ruiz, 53, worked in the newspaper industry for more than three decades. During the past 21 years, he worked for the Orlando Sentinel as a writer, copy editor and high school editor in the sports department. He also served as an online producer. Stephen graduated from Louisiana State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism and enjoys reading, cooking and exercising. He has completed three marathons.

Related Posts

Celebrate veterans this November in Branson

by AmeriForce Exclusive
2 months ago
0
Branson

Branson, Missouri, is one of the most veteran-friendly cities in America and will host Veterans Homecoming Week, Nov. 5-12.

Read more

Purple Heart Day: An opportunity to raise awareness of wounded veterans

by Alexandra Vollman
2 months ago
0
Purple Heart Day

Purple Heart Day, held every year on Aug. 7, provides an opportunity for the National Purple Heart Honor Mission to...

Read more

YogaFit’s warrior’s program aids those dealing with trauma

by AmeriForce Exclusive
5 months ago
0
YogaFit

YogaFit for Warriors is a trauma-informed program designed for those who have PTSD or a desire to help those with...

Read more

OPINION: Don’t just thank Iraq War veterans for their sacrifice. Apologize to them on behalf of our country. 

by AmeriForce Exclusive
6 months ago
0
Cara Light chats with Dennis Fritz about the much appreciated assistance she and her husband, Staff Sgt. Steve Light, have received June 19 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Sergeant was the lone vehicle survior in a roadside explosion in Afganistan. Mr. Fritz is the Walter Reed Army Medical Center recovery care coordinator. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Stan Parker)

March 20, 2023, marked 20 years of hell for countless veterans and their families, who struggle with the effects of...

Read more

Navy reservist captures history over 30-year career

by Taneika Duhaney
6 months ago
0
Navy reservist

Amy Forsythe, now a Navy reservist, has documented service members in some of the most remote regions in the world...

Read more

Marine Corps Reserve veteran reflects on ‘fly on the wall’ view of Iraq War

by Kari Williams
6 months ago
0
Iraq

When talk of the Iraq War began, retired Marine Corps Capt. Matthew Hoh was a junior officer for the Secretary...

Read more

Ads

Let's get social

The RNG Drill

News delivered directly to your inbox

Let's connect!

ABOUT US

  • OUR STORY
  • OUR TEAM
  • OUR WRITERS

MAGAZINE

  • GET PRINT
  • GET DIGITAL
  • GET THE NEWSLETTER

ADVERTISE

  • GET OUR MEDIA KIT
  • PUBLISHER’S STATEMENT

SUBMISSIONS

  • SUBMIT YOUR STORY

Never miss out on the latest stories.

© 2021 Reserve & National Guard by AmeriForce. Privacy Policy | Terms | Site by Swiss Commerce

Thank you for your interest in The Reserve & National Guard Magazine!

Thank you for your interest in The Reserve & National Guard Magazine!

No Result
View All Results
  • NEWS
  • YOUR CAREER
    • UNIT TRAINING
    • DEPLOYMENT
    • PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
    • RECRUITING & RETENTION
    • ENTREPRENEUR
    • TRANSITION
  • EDUCATION
  • MILITARY LIFE
    • MILITARY SPOUSES
    • MILITARY KIDS
    • PARENTING
  • OFF DUTY
    • ENTERTAINMENT
    • TRAVEL
  • HEALTH
    • FITNESS
    • MEDICINE
    • MENTAL HEALTH
  • SPORTS
  • OPINION
  • HISTORY
  • MONEY
    • PERSONAL FINANCE
    • BENEFITS
  • GET THE MAGAZINE
    • PRINT MAGAZINES
    • DIGITAL MAGAZINES
    • GET THE NEWSLETTER
  • ABOUT US
    • MEET OUR TEAM
    • OUR AUTHORS
    • ADVERTISE WITH US
    • SUBMIT YOUR STORY
    • PITCH US
    • CONTACT

© 2022 Reserve & National Guard by AmeriForce. Site by SCBW