I am thankful that The Maui News featured congressional candidate Tulsi Gabbard (The Maui News, April 8) and introduced her to Maui in a very positive way.
I remember Tulsi as a humble E-4 in the Hawaii Army National Guard, practicing starting IVs to hone her combat lifesaver skills. Now, two combat tours later, she has received many awards including the Combat Medic badge. Tulsi never used her political influence to get preferential treatment or shorter tours. She actually transferred units so she could deploy, and she trained with her unit from day one.
Tulsi lives to serve, as evidenced by her contributions as a Hawaii state representative, a congressional aide to Sen. Daniel Akaka and a Honolulu city councilwoman. She has done more in her 20s than many have at the peaks of their lives, including those with long-standing political careers. And she has spent more than 20 percent of her adult life overseas serving in war zones to protect our American way of life.
This congressional race is going to be a major battle in the primary. I encourage everyone to register to vote, pull a Democratic ballot in the primary and carefully place your mark next to Tulsi Gabbard's name. Let's join forces to keep Tulsi serving us.
Bobby Hill
Wailuku
