On February 25th, several Congresspeople and Department of Defense officials will meet in Washington, D.C. for a panel discussion on the role of veterans in government. Hosted by New York University, the event is open to the public and will begin at 6 p.m. with a reception to follow.

Dan Lamothe, national security reporter for The Washington Post, will moderate the discussion. Representatives Adam Kinzinger (IL-16), Tulsi Gabbard (HI-2), and Scott Peters (CA-52) will sit on the panel with Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael D. Lumpkin and Colonel Patrick Mahaney, Jr. They will discuss the role of veterans and military service in government and public policy.

Veterans interested in political affairs, public policy, military policy, law, and elected office are encouraged to attend this unique event. Each of the panelists will bring their personal experience to the talk, illuminating where and how veterans can improve the role and functions of the federal government. 

The Panelists are:

  • Rep. Kinzinger, a champion of U.S. energy independence and a leader in the Republican Party.
  • Asst. Sec. Lumpkin, who served for over 20 years as an active duty Navy SEAL before serving in high-level executive positions in the Department of Veterans Affairs and the DoD.
  • Colonel Mahaney, the director of the Strategic Studies Group in the Office of the Chief of Staff of the Army and a noted foreign policy expert within the U.S. Army.
  • Rep. Gabbard, who served two combat tours in Iraq after joining the Hawaii National Guard. She was the first female Distinguished Honor Graduate from Fort McClellan’s Officer Candidate School and was the first woman to ever receive an award of appreciation from the Kuwaiti military. She continues to serve as a Captain in the Hawaii National Guard.
  • Rep. Peters, who sits on the House Armed Services committee. Before his election to Congress, Peters worked as a public official in San Diego, helping to establish a more accountable city government.
  • Dan Lamothe (moderator), who has written on military policy and foreign combat for MilitaryTimes, Foreign Policy Magazine, and The Washington Post. While with the MilitaryTimes, he was embedded with Marine infantrymen in Afghanistan’s Helmand province.

Event organizers are asking the public to register beforehand to attend this D.C. event. If you are unable to go, you can still watch the panel discussion live online starting at 6 p.m. on February 25th.