My name is Rebecca Whiting. I am a Christian, a wife, and a mom to a large family. We live in Bemidji, Minnesota on a farm we have built from the ground up. I am a homeschooling mom, and a small business owner. I have been involved with farmers markets and the community for most of my adult life. I am also an Army combat veteran who saw two tours to Iraq as a medic in 2004- 05, then again in 2006-07. I was in Ramadi during the battle for Fallujah, and then in Baghdad during the Surge with 2ID, 2BCT. My experience in Iraq was one of heartache, grief, futility, and trauma. As a medic I saw the worst and came home to a system more broken than I was. I’ve watched as my fellow soldiers were killed in a war we never should have fought. I’ve watched as my fellow soldiers committed suicide at a rate greater than the casualties we inflicted during the Iraq war. I’ve watched as my fellow soldiers (including my husband) have started to get new cancers and diseases from burn pit exposure. And I’ve watched as we tried to navigate the failed VA system that ended up hurting vets instead of helping them. I couldn’t watch anymore. Now is not the time to be complacent, and this is not the legacy I want to leave my children. I love my family, and I love my country. I sacrificed for this country, and its people, because of my love. It’s that same love that drives me now. The political oligarchy has failed us, and I can’t sit back and watch anymore. I am running for the U.S. Senate. It’s time to send those who would enslave us to the failed system that they created to maintain their political monopoly a message. The people are free. And we are going to take our future back. @BemidjiReBecca @LPofMN