But let's bring in Lieutenant Colonel Dan Rooney, founder of Folds of Honor, former F-16 pilot, and a Republican candidate for Oklahoma's first congressional district. And if you want to find out what's going on with our Air Force, he's also where to go. Kevin Hearn is going to be running for Senate in Oklahoma. He's going to be abandoning that congressional district. And I think Lieutenant Colonel will be a perfect candidate for it.
Dan, welcome back. Wow, blessed to be here, and happy Friday. Yeah. Hey, let me before we tap into why you want to get into Congress, I want to tap into what you've done for decades, and that's be a pilot. During this time, over this two-week period, people talk about.
getting the Air Force, which all the press all the pressures on the Air Force. Getting them ready, getting them a chance to maintenance the equipment, and getting everyone a breather. How important is that? Oh, you know, so important. Like, people do not understand the ops tempo that we have been running over in Iran 24-7 around the clock.
Ceasefire tactically for us is a great reset point. But I'm going to go back to what you said. Like, the fact that President Trump, our dear brother, Pete Hagstaff, Sekwar, Raisin Kane, we have a capable military right now. And what we have invested and what President Trump has invested in us, and I'm still serving in the Oklahoma Air Guard, it was falling apart under Biden. We could not go do this without the investment beforehand.
And man, guys are doing such a great job. Obviously, the Easter miracle with the rescue of the two F-15E crew members. What an unbelievable testament to our armed forces and our commander-in-chief that has us trained up. As we say, stay ready so you don't have to get ready.
So, Dan, tell me right now with the F-15s. F 16s and F 33s, why are we still using F 15s?
So it's interesting. People don't understand this either.
So the air war has switched, right? We went from a strategic stealth strike, knocking out communications to what we call hunter and killer missions with non-stealth aircraft.
So F-15Es, A-10s, F-18s. And the issue is China and Russia both have provided Iran with IR manpads.
So these are heat-seeking IR missiles. And as a fighter pilot, you have no ability to detect these with your onboard warning systems.
So as we get low, we're daylight. We're very vulnerable. I'm not surprised someone got shot down. I don't think this is the first time or the last time this is going to happen. And people got to understand that this war, as we push in to take out these individual targets, our pilots are very vulnerable to being shot down.
Shot down by these IR missiles, I said. And Russia and China have huge blood on their hands on this latest shoot-down.
Well, the shoulder-fired missiles are an effective anti- Air Force strategy, how come we only got hit if that if it's that commonplace and we've been hitting so often with so many different targets? Uh how c how have they only gotten lucky once?
Well, we call it the golden BB in our business. We know the threat is there. There's a lot that has to go right to take someone down. But we know these IR man pads are prolific, and it's, you know, one guy on his shoulder. And yeah, it is absolutely, it's a Hail Mary.
But we saw it does happen. Great credit. I think we've flown like over 16,000 sorties. We've had one airplane knocked out of the sky. But as this war matriculates into we call this knife fight in a phone booth, right?
Low altitude, non-stealth aircraft, we are going to be vulnerable to these attacks.
So, Dan, you're saying to yourself that out of everything you've done in your career, you're still serving in the National Guard. You're a professional golfer, a golfer pro, and also you're a fighter pilot, as I mentioned, and founder of Folds of Honor, which all of these are full-time jobs in many respects.
So, what makes you want to run for Congress? You know, number one, I wasn't going to do it. And then I had a long discussion with Jack Nicholas, who's really become my stand-in dad. And I was so humble. Jack said, Daniel, you have to do this.
You've been put in service before self your whole life. And we need combat veterans. We need faith-based people in Washington, D.C. And that was really the turning point for me. And as I started examining it, when we look at Oklahoma, we've had three combat veterans since World War II serve in Congress.
And as that relates to what's happening in Iran, the decisions that are made in Washington, D.C., whether it's going to combat, whether it is for my day job at Folds of Honor, all of these policies affecting the families of fallen or critically wounded military as well. And it just, man, added up to me, and it just feels. Like a continuation of service on behalf of veterans and the great state of Oklahoma. We got five military bases here. Nobody has a seat at the Armed Service Table.
And I said, you know, if God willing, if Oklahoma wants to send me, I'll take the oath for the second time in my life. I took the first one, joining the Air Force in 1998. We'll take it again on behalf of God Country and Oklahoma. But we got to have combat vets up there, Brian. We got 31 currently post-9-11 combat veterans in Washington, D.C.
And our voice is valuable, and we've got to have it up there.
So, June 16th, the Republican primary, you got Jackson LaMeyer and Ron Durbin, who are also running. What do you know about them, and why do you feel as though you're a better choice? I just think, I mean, there are a lot of good candidates. I'm a better choice because, number one, I've spent my life putting service before self, and that's the thing we get most disappointed in when we send politicians up there. They put their self before service.
You know what you get with me. And also, I just think my connections up there, not coming up to be a junior congressman, the relationships with SecWar, the president, the ability to make Oklahoma proud on great news stations like Fox with you guys or getting on the radio show, being a voice of unity and common sense on behalf of veterans. And obviously, we don't do it without energy, man. And we're in the energy belt here in Oklahoma. We're not kicking button Iran without it.
We don't win World War II. There's nothing more fundamental to national security than our energy independence here in the U.S.
So for me, it's not doing anything different, man. It's just doing it in a different place. I'm Rom Ruddy, and I'm Running for governor. There are only two lanes in this race. In my lane, just me.
I will not take donations nor seek endorsements. In the other lane, four career politicians with over 50 years in government. Time for something different. Paid for by Ready for Governor. Understood.
So here's what you're going to be doing. You're going to be involved in a lot of partisanship. And when you talk about the president taking on Iran, if you asked anybody who's been alive for the last 30 years, oh, what's your number one enemy of America? Iran would be the top three list on everybody's card. Top one in almost every president's card.
No doubt about it. But yet we get this: Cut 15. What an error. What a miscalculation this entire endeavor was. This is just classic Trump, right?
I mean, he starts a war, backs down, then declares a victory for world peace. This war was not going well for us. This is in no way a win. A commander-in-chief who is truly in control would never have gotten into this colossal mess. It's cartoonish-type reviews, but that's what you're going to be a part of.
What are your thoughts about Chris Murphy, Jake Oshensaus, Seth Moulton, and Chuck Schumer? Number one, like they've never sat in a cockpit. They don't get it. They call it war for a reason. It is hard.
It is unpredictable. It's so clear, right? This is such a clear thing. Like, the Strait of Hormuz has to be stable for the globe to be stable. And I look at it in relation to kind of my Congress run.
If not you, then who? President Trump went in and did something that has needed to be done for decades. For our families, for the global security, for energy. And everybody's, you know, they sit on the sideline and they don't understand that you need to be there as long as it takes.
So Iran can never play this card again. And the stomach, I get it, long wars, people don't have the stomach for it, but we're talking weeks, not years. And I know he will stay the course, and I know Pete and Raisin Kane will stay the course until that strait is secure. And Iran and this new regime isn't cooking nuclear weapons in the future, and the next generation would never consider it because they know what happens. Understood.
So, Dan, if people want to support your candidacy for the first districts over in Oklahoma, how do they do it? You mean it's just as far as a run of the campaign over here? Yes, exactly. You're raising funds, raising awareness. People want to volunteer.
Yeah, so it's key. They can go to danroney.com and donate. And, you know, that's the battle, right? We've got to raise funds to get the word out, volunteer opportunities. And again, man, it's simple.
I love God. I love my country. I love Oklahoma. If you want to see somebody up there who's going to put service before self, because we've been doing it our whole lives, it's not a campaign slogan. It's the life that we've lived.
We need you in the fight. And it's just been extraordinary, Brian. The people coming to us. With hope that we'll get somebody up there that truly represents the voice of Oklahoma and our veterans and the values that we hold dear. Because my day job is awesome, but we're willing to go serve and fight in Congress if Tulsa wants to send us.
So, if Olds of Honor, you'll put somebody in charge to keep it going. My question is: what's going to keep your golf game going if you're going to have to be in two separate places working full-time as a congressman? Are you willing to let your golf game suffer?
Well, it's funny. I was with Jack Nicholas on Wednesday, and he said, you realize how much golf you're going to play with President Trump if you get elected.
So I'm hopeful I'll become a great golf buddy of the president, and we'll get a lot of stuff done on the course. And if nothing else, I'll be the best golfer to ever serve in Congress.
So a lot of hay in that barn. But yeah, there's a lot of sacrifice, but we're willing to make it if people want to send us up there. Absolutely. Lieutenant Colonel Dan Rooney, former, current, he's still serving the National Guard, is a fighter pilot, Folds of Honor founder, and that wants to be your next Congressman over in Oklahoma.
So thanks so much, Colonel. Best of luck the rest of the way. I can't imagine you not being victorious. Because you joined in everything. You got your endorsement, Brian.
You got my endorsement. You got your endorsement. Absolutely. By the power vested in me. Yes.
So we're winning, brother. God bless. Have a great Friday. Thank you so much for your advocacy, your support of Folds, and just being one of the greatest Americans I've ever met in my life.
Well, that's an honor for you to say that. But I just can't wait to see you serving on Armed Services. That'll be great for America. Dan Rooney, thanks so much. Thanks.
