John Eugene Witt

Name: John Witt
City/State: Syracuse, UT
Branch of Service: Marine Corps
Dates of Service: 2002-2022
Last Rank Held: E8
Military Occupation: First Sergeant 8999
Current Occupation: Human Resources
X: N/A
Instagram: N/A
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.witt.14224

John outside of the military:

I am married and have four children. I am family oriented and my children’s schedule primarily run mine. I love the outdoors, enjoy comedy and sports.

John on joining the IAVA Cavalry:

I’ve been a member of IAVA since 2006. I joined after my second deployment to Iraq because I felt it best represented POST 9/11 Veterans and addressed concerns they had. I felt IAVA was a new voice in the realm of Veteran Organizations. I joined the Calvary to lend my voice to the fight that POST 9/11 Veterans still need.

How the military experience affected John’s personal growth:

I joined when I was 17, less than a year after 9/11. I retired at 38 less than a year after the collapse of Afghanistan after the withdrawal. My military experience shaped every fiber of who I am today.

IAVA’s policy priorities that are the most pressing:

The repeal or reform of the 2001 and 2002 AUMFs. It’s 2025, this blank check has been cashed numerous times and needs to be repealed. Future wars will happen but new authorizations need to be voted upon and passed, not just piggybacked off of a 23 year old authorization.

IAVA’s policy priorities with the strongest personal connection for John:

The repeal or reform of the 2001 and 2002 AUMFs. I joined shortly after 9/11, deployed to Iraq twice and Afghanistan once. One of my last official duties was a next of kin notification for one of the Marines that tragically lost their lives at Abbey Gate outside Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport during the final withdrawal. We notified a father his son was lost to the terrorist attack, we returned to bring home the body of the slain Marine and returned again to complete funeral honors for his family. Veterans bear the weight of war, not politicians and their thoughts and prayers do little to comfort a gold star family. Congress needs to be proactive and repeal the current AUMF or more service members will lose their lives and family destroyed in the process.