This past Tuesday, July 27^th, a great group of veterans descended on Washington D.C. to attend another fantastic Operation Free Event.  Two groups of the veterans, including myself, went to lobby Senators Pryor and Lincoln from Arkansas. Unfortunately we only met with Senator Pryor’s staff but we actually met Senator Lincoln. The Senator and staff said they were supportive of our efforts to push for comprehensive clean energy reform but I can’t help but think some of it was just talk. It can be very frustrating when lobbying because it seems time and time again that partisan games get in the way of securing our energy future. Especially when our military is leading the way to a clean energy future and Congress can’t seem to follow their lead.

That afternoon we all made our way to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building for the White House Clean Energy Forum. Carol Browner, Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change, started it off and was followed by the distinguished Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus. The forum consisted of two panels that were stocked with the best and brightest in the clean energy and national security arena. I was extremely honored to represent Operation Free on the second panel. I couldn’t help but wonder how I ever got so lucky as to be not only in attendance at this forum but to be a speaker. The forum went well and was good to see how the administration and military are continuing to move toward a clean energy future with or without Congress. Although this can seem disconcerting, it has happened over and over in history that the military leads the way and eventually the rest of the United States follows. It is just frustrating that the knowledge that we are funding both sides of the war isn’t enough to create change now.

So as the trip to D.C ended my thoughts go to how glad I was to see all the other great veterans and friends that I know will be leading us into a bright future.  I think I can speak for all the veterans of Operation Free when I say that being involved with Operation Free has given us all great opportunities, given us another way to serve our country, and has created lifelong friendships. How can we not think positive of the future when you remember all of that.

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