In remarks at the Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Vice President JD Vance praised Navy service members and the area’s congresswoman, GOP Rep. Jen Kiggans, who is facing a close re-election race.
“You’ve answered the call every single time we’ve given you a mission. You have accomplished it with pride and vigor,” Vance told the assembled service members, after saying, “The president of the United States has asked you to do more than I think any group of service members has ever been asked to do.”
In his remarks, the vice president reflected on his time in the Marines, from 2003 to 2007, and criticized former political and military leadership, saying, “We sometimes had leaders who would ask you all to go to war, but would not give you a clear mission on the other end.”
Today, Vance said, Trump “has given you a defined mission” and has “given you the tools to kick the hell out of the enemy and to come home safely.”
The vice president also told the crowd that Kiggans is “somebody who comes to work every single day and fights for you.” He called the congresswoman, who is a Navy veteran, “a rock star for our veterans” and “a rock star for our troops.”