After more than two decades of service, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst has retired from the military.
“The decision to hang up my uniform after more than two decades in the military is not one I have made lightly and has been incredibly difficult,” Ernst said. “However, this decision provides me with a greater opportunity to continue meeting with, hearing from and serving Iowans in my capacity as a United States Senator, as well as spending more time with my family.”
Senator Ernst was a company commander of a unit tasked with running convoys through Kuwait and into southern Iraq in 2003; she served more than 23 years total. Her husband is a retired Army Ranger.
Ernst was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard when she officially retired November 30, 2015.
