A SENATOR THAT UNDERSTANDS DUTY, HONOR, AND HARD WORK! Take a guess what Joni Ernst was doing just a day after winning her Senate seat Just one day after securing her Iowa Senate seat, Joni Ernst was back to fulfilling her duties for her other title: lieutenant colonel for the National Guard. “Not many folks know she is in uniform on Thursday and Friday,” Ernst’s husband Gail told National Review Online. “She does it without fanfare.” A member of the 185th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, Ernst has been in the National Guard since 1993 and served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. “We serve regardless of our situations and Colonel Ernst doesn’t want to be treated any differently,” said Greg Hapgood, a National Guard spokesman. Ernst is expected to effectively balance her National Guard duties with her Senate duties for the moment, though it has still not been determined whether she will continue her training after she is sworn in as a senator. “It takes a lot of work to do it correctly, but we can do it,” Hapgood said. “Ultimately this is a personal decision.” When she was campaigning over the summer, Ernst was called into National Guard training for a week. Her service garnered the support of big names in the GOP and even spawned the hashtag #ondutyforJoni. “It’s really good for our national defense,” Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley said. “Having the first female combat veteran [to serve] in the Senate will be good for all debate on national security.” But her service is more than just a political play. It is a symbol of pride for all National Guard service members. “She is the model of a citizen-soldier,” Hapgood said. “Her victory is indicative of our work ethic and commitment.” Read more at rare.us/…/take-a-guess-what-joni-ernst-was-doing-j…/…
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 03:12:12 +0000