| Congressman Mike Waltz represents Florida's 6th congressional district, which includes Flagler and Volusia counties as well as portions of Lake and St. Johns counties. Mike is a proud Florida native, a Colonel in the National Guard, a combat-decorated Green Beret, former White House and Pentagon policy advisor, small business owner and a proud father.
Mike was born in Boynton Beach, FL and grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. He was raised by a hard-working single mother and is the son and grandson of Navy Chiefs.
Mike has served his country his entire life. He graduated from the Virginia Military Institute, has served over 24 years in the U.S. Army, and is presently serving in the National Guard. After being commissioned as an Army lieutenant, Mike graduated Ranger School and was then selected for the elite Green Berets, serving worldwide as a decorated Special Forces officer with multiple combat tours in Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa. For his actions in combat, Mike was awarded 4 Bronze Stars and 2 with valor. He is the first Green Beret to be elected to Congress.
During his time in Afghanistan, Mike led the teams searching for deserter Pvt. Bowe Berghdal. Mike was one of the first to call into question then-President Obama's labeling of Berghdal as a hero and has continued to lead the call for justice on behalf of all the service-members Berghdal's desertion put in harm's way.
Mike's servant leadership continued in the Pentagon as a defense policy director for Secretaries of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates. Mike then went on to serve in the White House as Vice President Dick Cheney's counterterrorism advisor, where he saw the difficult decisions the President and his Cabinet must make to protect our national security firsthand. Mike's position in the White House was unique, as he advised the Bush administration on policy he actually carried out in the military.
In 2020, Mike was promoted to the rank of Colonel in a ceremony overseen by Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy, a fellow graduate of the Virginia Military Institute.
His experiences as a soldier and a policy advisor inspired him to write his own book, "Warrior Diplomat- A Green Beret's Battles from Washington to Afghanistan" the proceeds of which continue to benefit the Green Beret Foundation.
Following his time in the White House, Mike then co-founded a small business which grew to over 400 employees and was listed on the Inc. 500, a ranking index of the fastest-growing private companies in America.
A former Fox News Channel contributor, Mike has excelled as a media commentator, providing expert commentary on foreign policy and defense issues to viewers around the world.
As an Army veteran and National Guardsman, Mike knows how to accomplish a mission for his country. This is the warrior attitude he has brought with him to Washington when he was first sworn in to represent Florida's 6th congressional district in 2019.
Mike is determined to be part of the new generation of leadership in Congress- servant leaders who lead by example with their values and deliver results. His commitment is the same now as it was in combat- to serve with everything he has, without regard for his own self and with a sense of duty.
Mike is the father of a teenage girl, Anderson, a baby boy, Armie, and is married to Dr. Julia Nesheiwat, a combat veteran who served in the Trump administration as Homeland Security Advisor to the President. He lives in St. Johns County. |