Our soldiers show every single day that they are more than good enough.
You fly. You aviate. You do everything you can to get the aircraft safely on the ground.
When I got to Iraq, my world focused in on one mission. It was incredibly rewarding.
I admire Governor Blagojevich's unbending commitment to giving every person in Illinois access to health care.
The summer before I started college, my parents walked everywhere instead of taking the bus. Once a week, they would hand over $10 to the university housing office, a deposit so I could move into the dorms in the fall.
I did not know I was a Midwesterner until I got there. I just fell in love with the people.
I said three things when I woke up in Walter Reed. 'I love you.' 'Put me to work,' and 'You stink! Go shower!'
My first direct encounter with the military was when I joined ROTC as a graduate student, although my father, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps, can trace the military service in our family all the way back to the Revolutionary War.
In the military, a combatant command is the ultimate job. It's the pointy tip of the spear, overseeing the people carrying the rifles and flying the aircraft.
Every day, members of the LGBTQ community deal with challenges that most Americans will never have to face. These challenges appear in the workplace, in your homes, in your community, and even in the halls of Congress.
I love the Army with every bone in my body.
I commanded an Army unit, and I placed the highest priority on a commander's authority to lead, manage, and discipline the men and women under his or her command within the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
I have personally seen what a devastating medical condition can cost.
Had I been injured on the freeway and not in combat, it is likely that I would be bankrupt even though I had medical insurance through my civilian employer.
As Assistant Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, a constant concern for me is having our veterans dragged into partisan politics.
Energy is one of the most precious battlefield resources, but it is risky and expensive to deliver in combat zones.
As an assistant operations officer for a helicopter task force in Iraq, I saw my fellow Guardsmen and soldiers risk life and limb to maintain diesel fuel supply lines.
We have an obligation to our men and women in uniform - and to future generations - to do something about the issue of climate change.
Illinois' economy will benefit from the modernization of the power sector.
Our military men and women are our greatest national treasure. They should be safeguarded as such upon their return.
