I first met Ryan Zinke, a Montana U.S. House candidate, in the early 1990s when he was serving as a member of SEAL Team Six, one of our nation’s elite counter-terrorism units. As one of the Navy’s outstanding officers, Zinke was hand-picked and rigorously screened to lead our country’s finest men and women on complex and dangerous missions.

In her letter to the editor of March 3, Annie Bukacek refers to Zinke as a “warfare candidate.” We who have served are the last to promote warfare; we acutely understand the intense sorrow and pain of losing one of our own. Ryan Zinke and I have attended too many funerals of fallen teammates. He understands the true commitment and consequences of sending our sons and daughters to war. Zinke’s daughter is a former Navy diver and his son-in-law is an active duty Navy SEAL.  He also believes that if called to war, the military must be fully prepared.

Our military proudly serves their country under the civilian direction of the president and the secretary of defense, as envisioned by the Founding Fathers. The decision to go to war originates with the president and must be approved by both houses of Congress. The president is then in charge of waging the war. WWI, WWII and Korea began under Democratic presidents, and the Vietnam War escalated under President Johnson. The Persian Gulf wars started under Republican presidents. So it seems the decision to go to war is not concentrated in a particular political party.

The 180,000 Montana veterans can depend on Ryan Zinke to be an advocate for them. This third-generation Montanan and former Montana state senator will continue to strongly represent all Montanans if elected to Congress.

Dale Stovall, Brig. Gen. (retired) USAF, is a resident of Missoula