A congresswoman spoke to UCLA Army ROTC cadets about her 20 years of experience on military and veteran affairs.
Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Santa Ana, discussed her service on the House Armed Services Committee and House Committee on Homeland Security with about 50 people Thursday morning at the Pavilion Club in Pauley Pavilion.
Sanchez has emphasized her national security expertise in her run for California’s open Senate seat against Attorney General Kamala Harris this year.
[Related: Chris Campbell: Sanchez needs conservative, independent votes to win Senate seat]
Scott Harvie, U.S. Army captain and assistant professor of military science, said Sanchez’s office reached out to the department of military science to set up the event.
“We were excited to (host Sanchez) because it provided a rare and important opportunity for students to hear from someone who works on military affairs and veterans’ issues,” Harvie said. “She can give perspective on how civilian leaders and the military work together.”
He added Sanchez’s speech was nonpartisan and not a campaign event for her Senate run.
“Our cadets are our future officers and leaders,” Harvie said. “It’s important they understand civilian leaders’ roles in national strategy and values.”
At the event, Sanchez said she thinks the country needs its military leaders to commit to American values like freedom of speech and democracy.
“The military is not an end to itself,” she said. “It exists to support the cause of freedom, justice and protect the American people.”
Sanchez added her vote against the Patriot Act after the 9/11 terrorist attacks showed she understands the importance of standing by democratic values.
She also said she thinks military leaders need to understand the limits of military power and use diplomacy when necessary.
“Don’t think politicians are the only ones to get it wrong,” Sanchez said. “Military leaders are sometimes eager to please or get promoted. (The military) is great at using force, moving supplies, enhancing order, toppling governments, but less successful at resolving the underlying causes of conflict.”
Sanchez also told the audience she thinks military officers should take care of soldiers and their families. She said on a visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, she heard from a wounded soldier’s family that the military had deducted the cost of meals for wounded soldiers from their paychecks.
“I was outraged,” Sanchez said. “I marched down to the Pentagon on a Tuesday afternoon, and by Friday they had changed the policy.”
Students and members of ROTC said they were impressed with Sanchez’s grasp of veterans’ issues and national security policy.
Louis Bethge, an Army ROTC Cadet Sergeant and third-year international development studies student, said he was interested to hear opinions from a high ranking civilian official.
“We don’t always see why we’re doing what we’re doing,” Bethge said. “If we understand whether civilians have the right ideas in mind, it sheds a light on things that happen.”
He added that hearing Sanchez talk taught him about how civilian politicians make decisions about the military.
“To see someone with that much experience, without a doubt there’s something you can learn,” Bethge said. “Whether persuasion or rhetoric, you can try to apply that to your own military career.”
Anthony Buzzanco, an Army ROTC Cadet Captain and fourth-year biochemistry student, said the event helped him learn about how the military and Congress operate together.
He added he thinks building a relationship between congressional and military leaders is vital to the success of the U.S. Army.
Is this the lady that dabbed during the senatatorial debate? Ya… no thanks.