Alright, folks, let’s set the record straight. Normally, I wouldn’t bother diving into the latest social media spat, but when the usual suspects start throwing around bad-faith arguments, sometimes it’s necessary to push back.
The latest dust-up? A tired attempt by The Dispatch’s Jonah Goldberg to discredit Senator J.D. Vance’s military service—all in the context of a larger discussion about Pete Hegseth’s decision to fire several senior military officers. Predictably, rather than debate the issue on its merits, Goldberg took the opportunity to take an unnecessary swipe at Vance.
Breaking News: President Trump fired the country’s senior military officer, a role that traditionally stays in place as administrations change. https://t.co/D0fohO4gKi
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 22, 2025
Now, here’s where it gets funny. Goldberg’s own colleague, David French, has for years allowed himself to be described as a “combat veteran,” despite serving as a JAG officer on a well-protected base in Iraq.
It’s not hard to find examples of this little embellishment—just a quick search will turn up plenty of references to French as a supposed warfighter. The internet, as always, remembers. And thanks to a well-placed Community Note, Goldberg’s attempt to downplay Vance’s service backfired spectacularly.
So, let’s be clear: J.D. Vance is a combat veteran. The fact that he served in a journalist role is completely irrelevant. If you were stationed in an area of operations and authorized hostile fire pay, you are, by definition, a combat veteran. Period. Vance was deployed to Anbar Province from August 2005 to February 2006—the height of the Sunni insurgency.
If Goldberg wants to suggest that serving in Anbar at that time wasn’t “real” combat, then he’s got a much bigger argument to make, including with the family of Marine Major Megan McClung, a public affairs officer killed in action there in December 2006. By Goldberg’s logic, was her death not combat-related?
What an a$$ you are… the irony of it all is that Donald Trump never served a day the freaking coward and all you jerks supporting him like he’s some God all y’all gonna bust hell wide open and I’m here for the day that it happens…
— MG (@mg_newton51) February 22, 2025
The reality is that this isn’t about military definitions—it’s about political sniping. Vance’s service in Iraq has been well-documented, and even former Marine comrades who dislike his politics have gone on record confirming the legitimacy of his experience. He never claimed to be kicking down doors like some action hero—he’s simply acknowledged the dangers he faced in a war zone. That should be enough.
