Jon Soltz, Co-Founder and Chair of VoteVets.org, is a leader of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans community and is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. From May to September 2003, Soltz served as a Captain during Operation Iraqi Freedom, deploying logistics convoys with the 1st Armored Division. During 2005, Soltz was mobilized for 365 days at Fort Dix New Jersey, training soldiers for combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. He also served his country with distinction in the Kosovo Campaign as a Tank Platoon Leader between June and December 2000. Soltz is a graduate of Washington & Jefferson College with dual degree in Political Science and History. He has completed graduate work at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.

Jon Soltz has quickly become one of the most authoritative voices on veterans issues and military issues. He has been interviewed by national outlets such as the Associated Press, Washington Post, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, TIME, Newsweek, among others, and in dozens of local outlets. He has made numerous media appearances including Jim Lehrer’s Newshour on PBS, CNN. MSNBC, FOX News and ABC News and Nightline, and national radio programs including Air America Radio, the Ed Schultz Show, the Bill Press Show, Alan Colmes Show, and Mancow in the Morning. Jon is a frequent contributor to Countdown with Keith Olbermann.

You can view clips of Soltz’s media appearances at the VoteVets.org YouTube page, at

http://www.youtube.com/votevets

Blog Entries by Jon Soltz

Thanks... Again And Again And Again

5 Comments | Posted November 26, 2009 | 08:22 AM (EST)


This Thanksgiving, the thing that will stick the most with me is while watching football, we'll surely see the thanks to and from the troops videos just before commercial breaks. You know, the ones that have a young Army Sergeant in Iraq saying hi to his wife and kids, and...

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What Color Is The Sky In Palin's World?

307 Comments | Posted November 24, 2009 | 04:15 PM (EST)


I never thought Sarah Palin could say something that would leave me totally speechless, but this time, she's done it. Reports Politico:

Former Alaska GOP Gov. Sarah Palin on Monday accused President Barack Obama of not acknowledging the sacrifices made by the men and women in the U.S. military....
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Paying Peter to Kill Paul

112 Comments | Posted November 12, 2009 | 08:23 AM (EST)


When we began our careers in military service, conflicts were often presented to us in black and white terms. There were good guys and bad guys, clear battle lines and we always knew which side we were on, as well as the side of the enemy. However, our experiences on...

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Many Issues With Tragedy at Ft. Hood -- A "Muslim Problem" not One of Them, FOX News

277 Comments | Posted November 6, 2009 | 03:39 PM (EST)


Yesterday was one of the most tragic days in the military, in the midst of a slew of tragic days as we continue to see casualties in Afghanistan. Innocent soldiers lost their lives, and many more were injured, at the hands of a very troubled Major at Ft. Hood. Our...

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On Don't Ask Don't Tell, Army's Ready, So What's the Hold-up?

162 Comments | Posted October 30, 2009 | 11:25 AM (EST)


This past week, former Republican Congressman John McHugh, the new secretary of the Army, said that the Army is ready to deal with repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell without a problem.

So why hasn't a repeal been enacted?

To that, I say, we're getting there. In the House, Representative...

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Why Musicians Are Right, Liz Cheney Is Wrong

183 Comments | Posted October 23, 2009 | 12:05 PM (EST)


Yesterday, a coalition of US and international musicians, including Trent Reznor, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, Jackson Browne, Rise Against, Rosanne Cash, Billy Bragg and the Roots announced they were joining the National Campaign to Close Guantanamo, of which VoteVets.org is a part.

The musicians called for the close of...

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The Weakness of Liz Cheney

154 Comments | Posted October 19, 2009 | 10:40 AM (EST)


Last year, as the presidential campaign was heating up, the far right introduced a new group to counter the progressive voice of the veterans at VoteVets.org. Freedom's Watch started and ended with a sputter, mainly because the group was led by political folks who never served a day in their...

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How General McChrystal May Have Hurt Himself

186 Comments | Posted October 8, 2009 | 12:32 PM (EST)


In the debate about the internal White House debate on which way to go in Afghanistan, one piece has been seldom talked about - did General Stanley McChrystal hurt his own cause?

There is absolutely no doubt where McChrystal stands: He wants a massive influx of troops, to execute a...

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The Questions All Americans Should ask About Afghanistan

170 Comments | Posted October 5, 2009 | 12:14 PM (EST)


If there's one thing that the latest NBC/Wall Street Journal poll tells us, it's that when the President outlines a good policy and speaks directly to the American people about it, he can connect. So, it's not a surprise that after a summer where the President was pretty quiet...

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The Erratic Joe Wilson's Shameful Record on Troops and Veterans

143 Comments | Posted September 14, 2009 | 01:18 PM (EST)


The only thing more "out there" than Joe Wilson's disrespectful display during the president's speech to Congress on health care is Representative Wilson's all over the place take on two of the largest government-run health systems there are -- the ones that benefit our troops and veterans.

Wilson has railed...

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Why The Military Is Worried About Climate Change

61 Comments | Posted September 9, 2009 | 11:41 AM (EST)


Months ago, when veterans got into the fight over Clean Energy, we did so because of the firm link between Middle East oil profits and terrorism. Late last month Richard Holbrooke even stated that the Taliban is being funded by Persian Oil. In short, we're unintentionally funding both sides...

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Hey, Don't Save Me From Government Health Care!

215 Comments | Posted August 20, 2009 | 11:15 AM (EST)


The whole health care debate has been completely confusing to me and a lot of the veterans and troops I talk with every day. See, for us, most of us got free, government-run health care.

First, troops in the Active Duty component and their families get TRICARE, the largest component...

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Remembering an Amazing Marine, Candidate, and Man

17 Comments | Posted August 18, 2009 | 01:13 PM (EST)


This week brought tragic news that particularly hit hard for the VoteVets.org family. Among the painful and heartbreaking losses of those Killed in Action was Bill Cahir, a Marine Sergeant, killed in Afghanistan.

Bill epitomized what is so great about so many who serve our nation in uniform. At...

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We Need Sestak (and More Vets) in the Senate

44 Comments | Posted August 10, 2009 | 10:25 AM (EST)


Last week, Congressman Joe Sestak jumped into the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania. Today, the over 105,000 veterans and civilian supporters at VoteVets.org are endorsing him.

Why?

As much as some may think it has everything to do with Arlen Specter, it doesn't. It's about...

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Biden Sends Right Message on Iraq

53 Comments | Posted July 6, 2009 | 02:20 PM (EST)


Last week, I wrote here on Huffington Post that it was time to start putting pressure on the Iraqi government to settle their internal differences, and make clear that we're no longer going to be their crutch.

I closed by saying, "It's time for President Obama to recognize...

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Has There Really Been a Policy Change in Iraq?

129 Comments | Posted June 29, 2009 | 09:54 AM (EST)


Tomorrow, under an agreement with the Iraqi government, American troops are slated to completely pull back from major cities. The Iraqi security forces don't seem ready for it. And, while it seems counter-intuitive, if they aren't getting their act together, we need to speed up our departure.

In his trip...

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Will Congress Put Useless Fighter Jets Above America?

317 Comments | Posted June 22, 2009 | 10:18 AM (EST)


Let me get this straight. The latest polls say three-quarters of the American people want a public option in health care, yet it's in question. But, Congress is about to throw $369 million (on a down-payment of $2 billion) for a dozen F-22 fighter jets that even the Pentagon...

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Why Army Suicides Continued to Rise in May, and What We Can Do

46 Comments | Posted June 12, 2009 | 11:58 AM (EST)


The news gets more and more troubling when it comes to Army suicides, which continue on a record pace, according to the latest report. March and April saw 13 suicides each. May saw 17 suicides.

The Army is taking the issue much more seriously, trying to stop the trend....

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Report on Cheney Shows Why We Need The Truth

46 Comments | Posted June 3, 2009 | 01:54 PM (EST)


Did Dick Cheney knowingly send intelligence officials to Congress to mislead them about the use of waterboarding? Did the Vice President himself?

We simply don't know. But we need to know, in light of the explosive report in the Washington Post today, that the Vice President took a...

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Petraeus Says U.S. Violated Geneva Conventions - What Will Cheney and Rush Say?

1401 Comments | Posted May 29, 2009 | 03:52 PM (EST)


A couple of days ago, I chronicled the quickening departure of some big military names from the Republican party, those concerned about the party moving even farther to the right a number of issues, including torture. What struck me at the time is that General David Petraeus came out...

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