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BGen Donald Bolduc

  • BGen Donald Bolduc

    BGen
    Bolduc
    is a combat veteran of the US
    Army
    .
    He is running for United States
    Senate
    in the state of
    NH
    .
    Active Status:
    Retired


The Combat Veterans For Congress PAC endorsed BGen Donald C. Bolduc, USA (Green Beret) as the 125th of 139 endorsed Combat Veteran For Congress in 12 years; he is running for the US Senate in New Hampshire against Sen Maggie Hassan (D-NH).  BGen Bolduc resides in Stratham, NH and served in the US Army for 33 years.  BGen Bolduc is a fiscally conservative candidate who will work to reduce the national debt, to strengthen the US Armed Forces, to protect the Freedom of Religion and Speech guaranteed in the US Constitution, will defend traditional Family Values, and will provide “true” representation for Veterans and the average American voter in his state and in the Republic.


He understands issues facing members of the US Armed Forces and will ensure they are cared for both while serving their country on active duty, as reservists, and in their retirement as Veterans.  BGen Bolduc supports The Free Enterprise System, considers the Socialist Democrat Party’s agenda a threat to the founding principles of the Republic, and will work to stop the out-of-control spending by irresponsible members in the Senate.  He will support securing the southern border, in order to prevent the entry of drugs, MS-13 gang members, terrorists, human traffickers, and the over two hundred thousand Illegal Aliens from 160 countries who are entering the United States monthly.   

BGen Bolduc is running for election against the liberal and progressive one term Senator, Maggie Hassan (D-NH).  Sen Hassan voted against reducing personal income tax, against closing the wide-open southern border, to condemn a Department of Defense policy on transgender individuals, and voted to pass the radically corrupt provisions in the $3.5 Socialist Democrat Marxist Reconciliation Bill.  Senator Hassan supports the removal of the Electoral College, supports giving the vote to 1.2 million Illegal Aliens regardless of their criminal records, supports free medical care for Illegal Aliens while forty thousand homeless Veterans are sleeping on the streets with no medical care, supports abortion nearly to the day of birth, and supports Medicare for all which supports for government controlled Universal Health Care.

Donald Bolduc was born on May 8, 1962 in Laconia, New Hampshire.  Don’s work ethic was shaped by working on his grandfather’s farm, paper routes, as a grounds keeper at a resort, at Piche’s Ski Shop, as a Police Cadet, and then as a Special (part-time) Police Officer on the Laconia Police Department.  During that period, Don was the youngest and only high school student working as a part-time Police Officer in New Hampshire.  While in high school Don played varsity baseball, football, and basketball; he graduated from Laconia High School on June 19, 1981.  

Don comes from a family with a long history of service in the US Armed Forces.  His maternal grandfather, Donat Gagne, served in WWII as a Seabee in the US Navy.  His father, Armand Bolduc, served in the US Army from 1956 to 1963.  Don’s two brothers Armand J Bolduc and David R. Bolduc served in the US Army.  Armand honorably served from 1982 to 2003, and David was commissioned in 1991, and is still honorably serving in the defense of the nation.

In June 1986, Sgt Bolduc received an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Dean College in Franklin, MA.  In May 1988, Second Lieutenant Bolduc  received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology from Salem State University in Salem, MA.  In June 2000, Major Bolduc received a Master’s Degree in Business Technology/HR Development from Webster University in Saint Louis, MO.  In June 2009, Col Bolduc received a Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, PA.  In January 2019, BGen Bolduc had an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters conferred on him by New England College in Henniker, NH.

Upon graduation from high school on June 19, 1981, Don Bolduc enlisted into the US Army as a Private First Class (E3) at the Army Recruiting Center in Dover, NH.  PFC Bolduc began basic training at Fort Benning, GA and completed training in September 1981 and went on to the Ranger Indoctrination Program at Fort Benning, completed training in December 1981.  In January 1982, Cpl Bolduc reported to Airborne School, Fort Benning, GA and in 1983 Sgt Bolduc was involved in combat against the Cuban Military in Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada.  In 1984 Don matriculated at Dean College, then transferred to Salem State University; upon graduation on May 21, 1988, Don Bolduc was commission as a Second Lieutenant through Reserve Officer Training Program. 

In May 1989, 2nd LT Bolduc was promoted to First Lieutenant, and in January 1991 he deployed in support of combat operation in Operation Desert Storm; during Desert Storm, he deployed to northern Iraq, to provide support for the Kurds.  In October 1991, 1st LT Bolduc was promoted to Captain.  CPT Bolduc was involved in Counter-Drug Operations on the US Southern Border with Joint Task Force 6 from 1993 to 1994, and from 1994 to 1997 he was involved in contingency and combat operations in the Middle East and Africa.  In March 1999, CPT Bolduc was promoted to Major.

After the terrorist attacks of 9/11 in October 2001, Major Bolduc deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as the 1st Battalion Commander, 3rdSpecial Forces Group (Desert Eagles) and led one of the first Special Forces Teams inserted in Afghanistan.  The unit was inserted south of Mazar-i-Sharif (a longtime stronghold of the Taliban) and was assigned to wrest control of the southern Afghanistan region from Taliban rule.

Special Forces personnel rode on horseback like the so-called horse soldiers and coordinated operations with the Northern Alliance; they were among the first Americans to battle the Taliban after 9/11.  Major Bolduc while riding on horseback in the mountainous terrain, often called in US air strikes in support of heavy paced combat operations.  During this period, Major Bolduc was traveling with the future Afghan President Hamid Karzai and assisted in the capture of Kandahar, Afghanistan’s second-largest city, and he subsequently participated in the seizure of Mazar-i-Sharif.  He and his Special Forces personnel on horseback were the subjects of the 2018 full length feature film, “12 Strong.”

On December 5, 2001, during combat operations near Kandahar, a 2,000-pound bomb was inadvertently dropped by friendly aircraft on Major Bolduc’s unit.  The explosion killed some 200 Afghan and three American soldiers, and the explosion left MAJ Bolduc limping with leg and hip injuries.  Major Bolduc was one of the few survivors, and despite his painful injuries he refused to leave the battlefield and continued to move against the next objective.  He was subsequently awarded his first Bronze Star Medal (with Combat “V”) and a Purple Heart Medal for his injuries.  The unit returned to CONUS at the end of 2002. Major Bolduc was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in November 2004.

LTC Bolduc redeployed to southern Afghanistan in 2005 and survived a helicopter crash in Urozgan Province.  The next year, he joined a major offensive against the Taliban in Operation Medusa, described by Major Rusty Bradley in his book, Lions of Kandahar, in describing LTC Bolduc, “In my fifteen years in the Army, I’d never had a better commander.”   Maj Bradley also wrote, “Bolduc understood the importance of details, and, like a chess master, his command of the big picture made him lethal.”  LTC Bolduc was credited with the success of Operation Medusa and his Special Operation Group was awarded with the Canadian Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation for their extraordinary combat actions in extremely hazardous circumstances, which were beyond the demands of normal duty in combat.  This was the first time a foreign military unit received this distinction from the Canadian Government and military.

LTC Bolduc continued his assignment in combat in southern Afghanistan thru 2007.  In December 2008, LTC Bolduc was promoted to Colonel, and deployed to Southern Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010.  Then to Bagram from 2010 through 2011 as Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Commander.   From 2012 to 2013 in Kabul, COL Bolduc served as Commander, Combined Joint Special Operations Component Commander in Afghanistan and was credited with the creation and establishment of the “Village Stability Operations” the only successful bottom-up stability effort in rural areas and villages in Afghanistan.  The program achieved unprecedented security gains and was considered by Mullah Omar as the most dangerous program for the Taliban.  This program undermined insurgent influence and control by the Taliban and ensured the stabilization of large areas of the war-torn country through Afghan Local Police between 2010-2013.  Col Bolduc served a total of 66 months in combat in Afghanistan.

In January 2013, COL Bolduc was promoted to Brigadier General, and was assigned as the Deputy Director for US Africa Command, he was responsible for the full spectrum of operations and across the African continent. In 2015, BGen Bolduc was assigned to the Joint Staff in the Office of Secretary of Defense and as the Aide to the Secretary of the Army in the Pentagon.  In late 2015, he received orders to Command the Special Operations Command-Africa Commander responsible for 96 missions and more than 2,000 U.S. military, interagency and international military personnel operating in 28 countries throughout Africa and Europe, and he was designated as US Africa Command’s lead Counter-Violent Extremist Organizations (VEO) operations component until October 2017. 

BGen Bolduc was Honorably Discharged from the US Army on October 1, 2017 after 12 combat deployments.  After serving for 81 months in combat, BGen Bolduc’s military awards include the Defense Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Service Medal, Army Distinguished Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal (Combat “V”), Bronze Star Medal (Oak Leaf Cluster for 4th award), Purple Heart Medal (2nd award), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (Oak Leaf Cluster for 5th award), Joint Services Commendation Medal (Oak Leaf Cluster for 2nd award), Army Commendation Medal (Combat “V”), Army Commendation Medal (Oak Leaf Cluster for 4th  award), Joint Services Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal (Oak Leaf Cluster for 3rd award), Joint Meritorious Unit Award (Oak Leaf Cluster for 12th award), Presidential Unit Citation, Valorous Unit Award, Army Superior Unit Award, Overseas Service Ribbon (9th award), Combat Infantry Badge, Expert Infantry Badge, Secretary of Defense Identification Badge, Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge, Army Staff Identification Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Ranger Tab, Special Forces Tab, numerous foreign awards/decorations, and various Service and Campaign Medals. 

Upon being Honorably Discharged from the US Army in June 2017, BGen  Bolduc accepted a position as an Adjunct Professor at New England College in Henniker, NH and was appointed by the Governor of New Hampshire as a member of the Juvenile Parole Board.  He is on the Board of Advisors of Smitz Laboratories, is a commentator on the New Hampshire Today Morning Show on Veterans Issues, and is a motivational speaker as a member of Outspoken Agency for public speaking.  Through his Truth to Power, LLC, he has been coaching and mentoring leadership, from entry level to the senior executive level.

Since retirement from active duty, BGen Bolduc has been advocating for Veterans and their families, their medical and therapy treatment, shedding the stigma of PTSD, TBI, pain management, sleep disorders, and neurotoxicity.  BGen Bolduc openly shares his personal experiences suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to help Veterans who are suffering from the disorder.  Perhaps more importantly, he is the first General Officer to come out in support of Veterans who suffer from PTSD by acknowledging that he suffers from it and speaks about his road to recovery in public.  As a result, he has helped countless Veterans suffering from PTSD.  In February 2018, BGen Bolduc was the recipient of a Medical Service Dog, “Victor”, from Guardian Angels Medical Dog Service Inc., and he is enjoying the benefits of having a Medical Service Dog.  BGen Bolduc is also an advisor and advocate for Veterans on the Semper Fi Fund, Warrior Heart Foundation, Guardian Angels, Inc., Vet Links, New Hampshire Veterans Count, and Green Alert Systems.  In 2020, in his first political campaign, BGen Bolduc ran to win the Republican nomination for the US Senate. 

BGen Bolduc has been endorsed by President Donald Trump; President Trump’s National Security Advisor--General Michael Flynn, USA (Ret), the First Delta Force Commander--LTG William G. Boykin, USA (Ret), Hon Thomas E. White, BGen-USA (Ret)(USMA'67) (18th Secretary of The Army in the Reagan Administration), Senator Thomas B. Cotton, Cpt-USA (R-AR-Senate), Cong Michael G. Waltz, Col-USAR (GreenBeret) (R-FL-6), the Senate Conservative Fund; the Combat Veterans For Congress PAC; Past New Hampshire State Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, SgtMaj Paul Chevalier, USMC(Ret); Fmr NH House Speaker Doug Scammer-Stratham; NH State Rep Gary Hopper; NH State Rep Tom Dolan; NH State Rep David Lundgren; NH State Rep Charlie Burns; NH State Rep Tim Merlino (USA); Fmr NH State Sen David Currier(USCG); Fmr NH State Sen Gary Lambert; Fmr NH State Sen Bob Guida (USNA/USMC); Fmr NH State Sen Kevin Avard; Fmr NH State Rep Hobart Harmon (USMC); Fmr NH State Rep William Fowler; Fmr NH State Rep Joe Kenny (USMC); Fmr NH State Rep Reed Panasiti (USN); Fmr NH State Rep Sue Delemus; Fmr NH State Rep Shaun Doherty; and Fmr NH State Rep Joshua Whitehouse.

BGen Bolduc is a member of the VFW, The Purple Heart Association, MOAA, and is the recipient of the United States Army War College Distinguished Research Award, the Salem State University Marilyn E. Flaherty Distinguished Alumnus Award, and the Dean College Distinguished Alumnus Award.  BGen Bolduc has been married to his wife Sharon for 32 years, they and their family attend the Immaculate Conception Church in Gilford, NH.  They have three sons Joshua, Zachary, and Matthew, as well as three grandchildren Little “J “, Hurricane Hadley, and Hannah Banana.

The Combat Veterans For Congress PAC is pleased to endorse BGen Donald C. Bolduc, USA (Ret) (Green Beret) who will bring to Congress his extensive experience in public policy and business skills, and common sense to better solve problems in government and represent New Hampshire and the Republic.  If you review BGen Bolduc’s positions on his Web site, you will be pleased with his policy positions; they agree with the Combat Veterans For Congress Mission Statement.  We look forward to working with BGen Bolduc, and are pleased that a Combat Veteran of his caliber is running for the US Senate. 
 

If you have friends, associates, or relatives who know voters in New Hampshire, kindly pass this E-mail on to them, and ask them to support BGen Bolduc by working on his campaign, providing financial support for his campaign in any amount, and/or by networking with others who would be willing to support his campaign.  The military is one of the few remaining institutions producing the caliber of men and women needed to restore this nation to the greatness our Founding Fathers envisioned.  We have endorsed another Combat Veteran For Congress that General George Washington would have approved of.  He is a Combat Veteran who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to “The United States of America” for an amount “up to and including his life.”