We need Tom Mullikin in Washington
By Mike Thornton, U.S. Navy SEALs (Ret.)
As an American and a native South Carolinian (now living in Texas), the congressional race for the Palmetto State’s 5th district is very near and dear to me. It is for a number of reasons; not the least of which is I have family and friends in S.C., and whoever voters in the 5th district counties choose to elect to the office of U.S. Congressman, he or she must bring a strong voice and an aggressive proactive approach to the war on terror. And make no mistake, it is a war and the enemy is as committed a foe as this nation has ever faced.
That’s why we need strong, committed voices in Washington who will press to take the fight to the enemy, quashing his financing, his freedom of movement, his recruiting efforts, and his access to – and employment of – weapons of mass destruction.
We need Congressmen like Tom Mullikin who are best qualified to take this fight to the enemy. Why Mullikin? It’s simple. Mullikin has traveled the globe over the past 30 years – exploring many of the world’s most remote regions, advising U.S. and foreign government officials, and developing a unique experiential understanding of the critical need for energy security as being vital to national security.
It is precisely those experiences which – beyond his grasp of the necessity of a strong national defense – have also enabled him as a strong, committed leader in terms of creating new jobs, bringing jobs back to this country, infusing real energy back into the historically great American economic engine, proffering real viable solutions to the health care and insurance industries, and generally shoring up American businesses from the small business owner struggling to make payroll to the large multinational corporation seeking a strong business and worker-friendly environment in which to expand existing operations or develop new manufacturing facilities right here in North America.
As military leader, Mullikin is unequalled in his experience both in-and-out of uniform. He has served as a U.S. Army JAG officer (including service as an assistant staff judge advocate and an international legal officer with a Civil Affairs Brigade.) Following his U.S. Army service, he was special assistant to the Chief Prosecutor of Military Commissions, overseeing the trial of 9/11 terrorist mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed and other alleged terrorists. Today, as commanding general of the South Carolina State Guard, Tom has overseen the near-total transformation of the State Guard (today a key component of the state’s overall emergency response apparatus).
As a business leader and civilian attorney, Mullikin has been retained for his expertise by several foreign countries, various global organizations and Fortune 100 companies including one of the largest privately held corporations in the world. He served as chief counsel and vice pres. of public affairs for one of the largest environmental services companies in the world. He was general counsel for an international nuclear technology firm, and senior partner at a prominent law firm in the United States before co-founding the Camden- based Mullikin Law Firm.
No one among the existing slate of candidates is more qualified than Mullikin when it comes to a grasp of domestic and international terrorism on the one hand, and strengthening our economic base on the other. That’s why I sincerely hope voters in S.C.’s fifth district will elect Tom Mullikin to the U.S. Congress on May 2.
– Mike Thornton, U.S. Navy SEALs (Ret.), is a recipient of the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for combat valor.
[Neither the military information nor photographs imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Defense or the U.S. Navy.]