Retired four-star General James T. Conway will endorse combat veteran Jon Keyser for U.S. Senate, the Washington Free Beacon has learned.
The 34th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps praised Keyser as a "proven warrior" who has the necessary national security experience to challenge Democratic incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet this November.
"Fifteen years ago my fellow Marine Division commanders and I sat at a conference table, in the wake of 9/11, and expressed our mutual concerns that this younger generation might not make the good Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines we needed if the country went to war," Conway said in a statement announcing his endorsement. "We felt that a lack of traditional discipline and not enough ‘hard knocks’ growing up had, likely, softened the youth we were recruiting. We could not have been more wrong.
"I had the opportunity on multiple occasions to observe these young men and women in close combat—and their raw courage, their sense of patriotism, and their self-sacrifice were eye-watering to behold," he said. "Jon Keyser is of this generation of tremendous young Americans."
Conway, who commanded 90,000 troops during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and served for four years on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Keyser’s service as an intelligence officer in the Air Force during two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan sets the candidate apart from a crowded field of Republican candidates.
"His team killed or captured over a hundred high-value targets and helped spawn ‘The Awakening’ of the good citizens of Iraq—a movement that eventually turned the tide in that country," Conway said. "For his actions, he received the Bronze Star. Later, he would deploy again to the region, operating in enemy territory, this time in Afghanistan."
"The importance of those experiences is that Jon Keyser has seen the face of America’s greatest threat up close and personal," he added. "He understands that, if they are to be defeated, their fanaticism must be met by an equal resolve on our part."
An outspoken critic of the nuclear deal with Iran, Conway said Bennet’s support of the deal should concern Coloradans. Iran has repeatedly launched nuclear-capable ballistic missiles since the deal was reached in July and was recently found in violation of a United Nations Security Council resolution. The deal also gives Iran $100 billion in sanctions relief, which Secretary of State John Kerry has said could likely fund terrorism.
"Michael Bennet shortsightedly supported the Iran deal that will virtually ensure in 10 short years a nuclear-armed Iran and, therefore, nuclear proliferation throughout the Middle East," Conway said. "Attacks like those in Paris and Brussels, tragic as they are, will seem small by comparison when terrorists have the ability to attack those same cities—or ours—with dirty bombs or nuclear devices."
Keyser has made national security the centerpiece of his campaign, promising to work to undo the nuclear deal if elected. He resigned his seat in the Colorado House of Representatives to run for U.S. Senate and is currently a Major in the Air Force Reserve.
Conway also praised Keyser, a father of two young daughters, as a "strong family man who values integrity, intellect, and transparency."
"Personally, I am delighted that men like Jon Keyser, though they have already served this great Nation, are willing to seek even greater leadership positions," he said. "Clearly there is much that needs to be done to ‘square-away’ Washington, and so I ask everyone in Colorado: Please join me in supporting Jon Keyser’s campaign for the U.S. Senate."
"Together, we can send the proven warriors of his generation to Washington—to fight for the future of generations to come," Conway said.
Keyser and seven other Republican candidates will face off in the first televised debate of the primary on Tuesday evening.