Service - Nov. 8, 2019

ERNST: I loved serving my country. I served in the Army Reserves and the Iowa Army National Guard. I was activated to serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom. I was serving with the Iowa National Guard at that time, as a company commander, and I led 150 of Iowa's soldiers. And we served in Kuwait and southern Iraq. We drove convoys in support of our warriors. My daughter, Libby, is following in my footsteps. She will become an Army officer as well, and I'm so proud of her. She grew up with an understanding that we need to give back, whether it's our communities, our state, or our nation. And being able to serve in our nation's uniform is something she knew was so important to me, and now it's also very important to her, to be able to give back to our country.