Michael Waltz

BIO: Michael Waltz is a Republican representing Florida’s 6th congressional district. The ex-Green Beret and policy adviser was sworn into office on Jan. 3, 2019.

Waltz is the son and grandson of Navy chiefs. He kept his family legacy going by graduating from the Virginia Military Institute and getting commissioned as an Army lieutenant. He eventually graduated from Ranger training and joined the Green Berets.

While in Afghanistan, Waltz led the search for Pvt. Bowe Berghdal, an Army deserter who was famously taken prisoner by the Taliban. After returning home, Waltz served as defense policy director for former Secretaries of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates before becoming ex-Vice President Dick Cheney’s counter-terrorism adviser.

Before getting into politics, he wrote a book about his experiences in the military and D.C. called “Warrior Diplomat: A Green Beret’s Battles from Washington to Afghanistan.”