The Combat Veterans For Congress PAC is endorsing the 52nd Combat Veteran For Congress; he is a fiscal conservative who will work to rein in the out-of-control spending by the Obama Administration.  SgtMaj James A. Kuiken, USMC (Ret) http://www.kuikenfortexas.com ; Jim resides in Weslaco, TX, is a 30 year Veteran of the US Marine Corps, and is running for the seat in the 15th Congressional District of Texas.  Sgt Maj Kuiken is challenging the very liberal 15-year incumbent, Rep Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX-15), who is a Pelosi clone and has voted for billions of dollars of bailouts for unions, voted to pass the flawed Obama Health Care Bill, supported government give aways that are bankrupting the Republic, voted under the cover of darkness on the weekend before the Christmas to repeal President Clinton’s 1993 DADT law, and is pushing for the second $500 billion Obama TARP proposal.  Jim Kuiken was born in Boise, Idaho on January 16, 1954, his father was in the US Air Force, and the family lived all over the world; he went to several high schools; in Ankara & Karamursel Turkey, Boise High School, Idaho, and on June 15, 1971, he graduated from Vaden High School in Travis AF Base, CA.  From September 1971 to December 1972, and in between periods of military service, for periods in 1983, 1985, and 1988, Jim matriculated at Boise State University, Boise, Idaho.  In June 2002, James graduated from the Executive Potential Program sponsored by the US Department of Agriculture Graduate School in Washington, DC; the program is designed to prepare participants to qualify for the Senior Executive Service (SES).  In June 2006, Jim received a Master of Public Administration Degree (MPA) from American University in Washington, DC.

Jim Kuiken was sworn-in to the US Marine Corps on January 5, 1973, entered active service on January 26th, serving on sea duty aboard USS Proteus (AS-19), with Charlie Company 1/1, and with 1st Recon Battalion, and then transferred to the US Marine Corps Reserve in January 1977. Over the next 26 years SgtMaj Kuiken served with a Tank Battalion, a Force Recon Company, a Light Armored Infantry Battalion, on active duty during Operation Desert Storm, ANGLICO, a Civil Affairs Group, and Marine Forces Pacific Command on active duty.  He was recalled to active duty in support of Operation Desert Storm on November 13, 1990 and served as the First Sergeant with “A” Company, 4th Light Armored Infantry Battalion in Kuwait.  On March 3, 1991, three days after the cease fire, First Sergeant Kuiken was wounded in combat during mop-up operations in Al Wafra; he was release from active duty on August 2, 1991.  In January 1995, 1st Sgt Kuiken was promoted to Sergeant Major in the US Marine Corps.  On January 6, 2002, SgtMaj Kuiken was recalled to active duty for Operation Enduring Freedom and served as the Force Sergeant Major for the US Marine Forces Pacific Command; Marine Corps; he was released from active duty on September 6, 2002.  SgtMaj Kuiken awards include the Legion of Merit Medal (for Operation Enduring Freedom), The Purple Heart Medal, the Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon (2 gold stars), the Navy/Marine Corps Unit Commendation Ribbon, the Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon (2 gold stars), The Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi), the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait), and numerous campaign and service medals.  He was released from active duty after 30 years of service, honorably discharged, and retired from the US Marine Corps on January 5, 2003.

James Kuiken is the President, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Verdant Strategies Inc., a visionary provider of integrated sustainable and efficient business solutions - helping both government agencies and private companies to reduce expenses and increase profits using energy efficient, sustainable and resource conscious operations. Previously, Mr. Kuiken was the Vice President for Citizen Safety SBA with American Systems Corp. where his customer focus was the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Justice (DoJ), portions of the Department of State (DoS), and all Federal Law Enforcement agencies. Before joining American Systems, Jim served as the Assistant Director for Operations, Office of Training and Development, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  His previous assignment was as the Regional Director for the Middle East and Africa, DHS Office of International Affairs. As Regional Director, he had oversight of all DHS missions and programs in was in the 78 countries in the region, and was the Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Homeland Security on issues related to those countries. From July 2005 to August 2006 Mr. Kuiken served as the DHS Attaché, Baghdad and Country Director, Iraq where he was appointed to the Senior Executive Service. As Attaché, Mr. Kuiken was the senior DHS representative to Iraq, and assisted the U.S. Government’s efforts to promote a stable and free Iraq capable of self-governance. As Country Director, Mr. Kuiken personally oversaw all DHS personnel, missions and efforts in Iraq.  Mr. Kuiken previously served in a variety of law enforcement and emergency response positions and locations at the state and local level, starting in 1977. In 1988 he joined the Immigration and Naturalization Service where he served in a variety of law enforcement and leadership positions, starting as a Border Patrol Agent on the southern border, Special Agent and supervisor in Los Angeles (working gangs, international fugitives, organized crime and counter-terrorism), and rising up to senior management at INS Headquarters. In 2001, he transferred to the Dept of Transportation OIG as Special Agent-in-Charge, and later national Director of Policy, Training and Programs. In 2003 he transferred to DHS, serving as acting Asst. Director for Detention and Removal Operations, one of the largest law enforcement agencies within ICE, and later Director of the National Incident Response Unit, responsible for planning for and responding to nation-wide or large scale incidents involving national security. 

Jim Kuiken is a common sense conservative who supports lower taxes, less government, strong border security, supports the creation of jobs by the private sector not by government, and intends to help rein in the out of control spending by the Obama Administration.  He is a two-time recipient of the Republican Senatorial Medal of Freedom, he a Senior Fellow at the Joint Forces Staff College (National Defense University), and was the Vice President for Legislative Affairs, US Marine Corps Reserve Association. He is currently serving on the Elder Abuse Awareness Task Force, Rio Grande Valley, TX, is the Adjutant of the Harlingen Texas VFW Post, a member of the Marine Corps Reserve Association, the NRA, the Force Recon Association, Military Order of the Purple Heart, the Cameron County Republican Club, and the former Adjunct Senior Advisor/Mentor to the USJFCOM Keystone Program.  He attends the First Christian Church in Harlingen, TX.  SgtMaj Kuiken enjoys golf, hunting, fishing, bicycling, archery, target shooting, and martial arts, he has been married to Celia Farias of San Benito, TX for 22 years, and they have three children; Mike age 32, Christy age 30, and Tony age 29.

If you review SgtMaj Kuiken’s positions on various issues, you would be pleased with his stands; they agree with the Combat Veterans For Congress Mission Statement.  The Combat Veterans For Congress PAC are pleased to endorse SgtMaj Jim Kuiken, USMC (Ret), look forward to working with him, and is pleased that a Combat Veteran of his caliber is running for U.S. House of Representatives.  If you have friends, associates, or relatives who know voters in Texas, kindly pass this email onto them and ask them to support SgtMaj Kuiken by working in his campaign, providing financial support for his campaign in any amount, and/or by networking with others who would be willing to support his campaign.  We have endorsed another Combat Veteran For Congress that General George Washington would have approved of.  A Veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to “The Unites States of America” for an amount “up to and including his life.”