Dear Friends,
In case you missed it, Veterans on Duty was joined on Tuesday by two seasoned warfighters now shaping defense policy in Congress: Senator Tim Sheehy (R-MT) and Representative Jake Ellzey (R-TX) for Future of SOF: Special Operations in an Era of Near-Peer Competition.
With deep roots in special operations and naval aviation, both leaders offered a blunt assessment of where America stands—and what must come next—as we confront growing threats from China, Russia, and other adversaries.
Senator Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, didn’t mince words when outlining the urgency of this moment. “If we’re near-peer,” he warned, “we’re probably the one behind.” His message: our adversaries are innovating faster, building more efficiently, and coordinating more effectively than we are—and the U.S. needs to adapt now.
On the House side, Representative Ellzey, a former Navy fighter pilot and a member of the Appropriations Committee, drew a clear line to history: “We need to build our military like we did in 1941.” With 2027 looming as a potential flashpoint with China, he emphasized that the clock isn’t ticking—it’s already sounding the alarm.
If you missed the event, you can watch Senator Sheehy’s full keynote address here, and the entirety of Rep. Ellzey’s conversation with VOD Chairman Garrett Exner here.
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Signed,
Hooff Cooksey
Executive Director, Veterans On Duty
