That’s a picture of me from when I flew H-46 and H-3 helicopters in the U.S. Navy. If you look to my left, you can see my call sign…Blossom.

People often ask…how did I get that name?

Well, my roommate in flight school and I went on a bit of a “girl power” kick one day and bought old bathtub non-skid flower stickers from the store, cut out that flower shape in reflective tape from our squadron, and stuck those reflective flowers on our helmets.

There is very little room for making a Navy flight suit more “feminine,” but on cruise we were able to be a little more creative and came to love those girly flowers on our helmets.

Although the helicopter community doesn’t use call signs as much as some of the fixed wing squadrons, the “Blossom” stuck and was painted on the side of a CH-46 for part of my first cruise. Made for a great photo and story!

It was my experience in the Navy that helped instill in me the importance of service.

Far too often, our elected officials today forget that their job is to SERVE. They think it is their job to tell everyone what to do and why everyone else is wrong….but that’s not service.

As a Navy veteran and nurse practitioner, I got so frustrated and decided to run for Congress because I wanted to actually SERVE my country and my community.

While for some it is all about power, for me it is all about service.

Sadly, this has made me some enemies in Washington.

No one is going to buy me off or tell me what to do…I’m going to keep serving the people I represent, not serve some “master” in Washington, D.C.

If you are also tired of leaders who care more about power than service, I’m asking you to send me some help today.

Because I’m a veteran and not a career politician, I need all the help I can get to support my fight against the Democrats.