Michael Waltz brings a unique military and national security background to Congress as a former Green Beret who served multiple combat tours in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Africa before working as a defense contractor and Pentagon policy advisor. The decorated Army veteran has emerged as a prominent voice on defense and foreign policy issues, consistently advocating for a strong military posture against China and supporting robust defense spending. He gained national attention for his criticism of the Biden administration's Afghanistan withdrawal and has been a vocal advocate for military families and veterans' issues throughout his tenure.