Arizona opinion: Elon Musk is firing veterans like me

Ask a veteran the hardest thing about leaving the service. Without fail, almost all of them will tell you it’s finding a job.

When I retired from the Marine Corps after more than 20 years of military service, I thought employers would be lining up to hire me. I was wrong. I led Marines, served several combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and took on every challenge thrown my way. I had the discipline, the skills, and the leadership experience that should have made me an asset in any workplace.

But the reality of transitioning into civilian life was brutal. I struggled to translate my military experience into civilian job descriptions, not to mention the stigma that still exists around hiring veterans. Hiring managers had no idea what my skills actually meant and despite the promises of “thank you for your service,” doors remained shut.

That struggle isn’t unique to me. It’s a reality for thousands of veterans. And now, thanks to Elon Musk and his reckless firing spree, it’s only getting worse.

Musk has already slashed thousands of jobs across the federal workforce, including positions held by veterans here in Arizona. His latest target, the VA Crisis Line, which receives nearly 60,000 calls each month from veterans seeking lifesaving help, is beyond disgraceful. These DOGE-led firings extended across the entire VA system, which provides healthcare to hundreds of thousands of Arizonans and was already struggling with critical staffing shortages. Musk’s reckless cost-cutting means longer wait times, overwhelmed providers, and veterans left without care.

Elon Musk wasn’t elected, has never served in the military, and has no idea the struggles our veterans and military families face.

Veterans bring unparalleled leadership, problem-solving skills, and resilience to the workforce, yet they still often struggle to make the transition to civilian employment. In addition, veterans today are more likely to be single parents like me, meaning that these firings can result in losing the sole source of income for both the veteran and their child. Here in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, where nearly 97 out of every 1,000 residents is a veteran, these job losses hurt individual families and send ripples across the entire economy.

Helping veterans find meaningful careers where they can put their skills to use isn’t just the moral thing to do to honor their sacrifices; it’s critical to keeping Arizonans and our economy afloat.

We can’t keep letting unaccountable billionaires treat veterans like disposable assets. The solution isn’t more mass layoffs, it’s supporting programs like 50Strong, which partners with SkillBridge to connect transitioning service members with employers who actually value their experience. Unlike Elon Musk, these programs recognize that veterans aren’t liabilities, they’re assets. And yet, our Congressman Juan Ciscomani is “thrilled” to be allied with DOGE, joining the caucus that enables these cuts while Arizona veterans are left behind.

When I talk to people in the 6th Congressional District, they aren’t asking for tax breaks for billionaires or unchecked corporate power. They want good-paying jobs, affordable healthcare, and a fair shot at raising their families without working multiple jobs to survive. But instead of fighting for those opportunities, Ciscomani is enabling Elon Musk’s assault on veterans’ livelihoods. We deserve better.

In the Marine Corps, we have a saying: Lead, follow, or get out of the way. Our veterans deserve leadership that will keep their promises to them for their sacrifices. I’m running for Congress because leadership shouldn’t come from Elon — it should come from Eloy, where leadership is about serving others.