Craig L Sanders enlisted in the Air Force in February of 2004 and has been active duty Air Force for just over two years. Currently in the process of transitioning from an enlisted communication troop to a commissioned officer, Sanders plans to be a navigator in the Air Force upon completion of new training. He claims Statesboro, Georgia, as my hometown.

CaliforniaConservative.org is proud to announce that Craig L. Sanders is joining our blogging team as a Special Contributor, focusing on our military.

Enlisted in the Air Force in February of 2004, Craig has been serving in active duty Air Force for just over two years. Currently in the process of transitioning from an enlisted communication troop to a commissioned officer, he plans to be a navigator in the Air Force upon completion of new training.

With military service in his blood, Craig’s father is retired Air Force and, after moving around alot, he proudly claims Statesboro, Georgia, as his hometown. He earned a B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Georgia in 2002.

And what brings Craig to blogging? He shares this with us:

“I discovered my interest in politics around the time of the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center. I was in my fourth year at the University of Georgia at the time, and that event still resonates as the catalyst of my newfound political fervor.

In my blog, I basically opine on most of the stories of national interest. I am a conservative, and I have no particular expertise about politics except what I believe to be a good understanding and grasp on the average person.

I am especially interested in gauging the feelings of military personnel, who I believe are used (primarily by the Left) for political purposes, but have little or no bearing on our realities.”

As we head into Memorial Day Weekend, this announcement is very timely as Craig will be leading a new effort to provide special coverage to the personal stories from those who serve our nation in uniform. Read all about it here.

And you can find articles by Craig on this site here.

We encourage readers to welcome Craig, and please share your thoughts and ideas with us.

Semper fi.

I still remember exactly where I was when I first heard we were attacked on September 11th, 2001. I was sitting in a finance class at the University of Georgia when the instructor had someone approach him on the stage and whisper something in his ear. He then told us that the World Trade Center in New York had been attacked. He told us to go home, and I did. I know now that the second I turned on that television, my life changed. I had never followed politics or world events before (I was only 20). From that day forward, I have been interested in all the news that shape our nation and this world. Also, I had never entertained the idea of joining the military before, even though both my father and mother (and much of my mother’s side of the family) served in the United States Air Force. I don’t think I knew it at the time, but that day started me on my path to service (which wouldn’t happen for another two and a half years).

I never felt fulfilled over the days and months that followed 9/11. I graduated from college. I hung out with friends. I worked as a personal financial planner, trying to help families get out of debt and invest for their futures. I lived with my brother back home, working and partying with friends. Outwardly, I’m sure I seemed fine, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had some other path to follow-and I still didn’t know what.

I continued watching the world unfold, as Operation Iraqi Freedom began and the ensuing rebuilding process started. I heard the broken records of WMD’s, lies, war for oil, and a host of other talking points that are still echoed today. I thought to myself, “why don’t these people get it?” To me it was simple. We were attacked. It wasn’t the hijackers. It wasn’t Osama. It wasn’t the Taliban or Al Qaeda. It was an ideology of intolerance and pure hatred for the values and ideas of democracy that the United States stands for. (continue reading post »)