The Combat Veterans For Congress PAC is endorsing the 68th Combat Veteran For Congress; he is a fiscal and constitutional conservative who will work to rein in the out-of-control spending of the Obama Administration.  Capt Duane Sand, USNR, USNA ‘90 (R-ND-Senate) http://www.sandforsenate.com/  is a resident of Bismarck, North Dakota and is running for US Senate in North Dakota.  Capt Sandis challenging Congressman Rick Berg for the Senate seat, who repeatedly voted against reducing spending, voted against cutting $134 million in wasteful EPA Programs, voted against cutting $446.9 from AMTRAK, has repeatedly voted to lift the debt ceiling, and has voted for increased taxes.  Capt Sand was born on May 8, 1965, in Fargo, North Dakota and raised in Fargo; themoved to a farm in Lancaster MN, 1977 to 1983.  Upon graduating from Lancaster School in Lancaster, Minnesota, in June 1983, Duane was accepted at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, ND, In 1984, Duane left the University of North Dakota and entered the US Coast Guard Academy in Groton, Connecticut. Duane resigned from the Coast Guard Academy was sworn in as Midshipman 4/c at the US Naval Academy on July 5, 1986.  Midshipman 1/c Duane Sand graduated from the US Naval Academy in May 30, 1990 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science.  In September 1995, Duane Sand was accepted at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, and graduated with honors with and received a Master’s of Science Degree in Industrial Engineering in May 1997.

In July 5, 1986, upon entering the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, Duane Sands was sworn into the US Navy as a Midshipman 4/c.  Upon graduation in May 30, 1990, Midshipman 1/c Sand was commissioned as an Ensign in the US Navy, and in September 1990, he commenced the course of instruction at the US Navy Nuclear Power School in Idaho Falls, Idaho and graduated in April 1991. Ens Sand then went thru Nuclear Power Prototype training in Idaho, and graduated first in his class of 25 in October 1991. In October 1991, he went on to US Naval Submarine School in Groton, Connecticut, and graduated in January 1992.   In 1992 he was assigned as the Navy Nuclear Trained Officer/Nuclear Test Engineer, Kings Bay Submarine Base, Georgia, was promoted to Lt (jg) in May 1992, received his Nuclear Engineer Officer certificate by Naval Reactors in 1994, and was promoted to Lieutenant in September 1994.  In 1995, Lt Sand was assigned as the Division Director of Electrical Engineering Department at the Naval Nuclear Power School, Orlando, FL.  In 1997, Lcdr Sand was assigned as the Weapons Officer, USS ATLANTA, (SSN 712).  Lcdr Sand resigned his active duty commission in 1999, accepted a commission in the US Naval Reserve, and in November 2000 he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander.. In 2001, Lcdr Sand was recalled to active duty as Navigation Officer, Operations Officer, and Nuclear Safety Officer in USS Florida (SSBN-728); he Qualified for Command and fully re-qualified as EOOW/EDO for Reactor Operations. In 2002, he was assigned to the Pentagon, as N81, the Pentagon Requirement Officer.  In 2003, Lcdr Sand resigned from active duty.

On December 2004 Lcdr Sand was recalled to active duty and deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, as Operations Officer (N3) for Naval Coastal Warfare Squadron 33.  He was base-camped in Al Shaiba Kuwait and did patrols off the coast of Kuwait, Um Quasar Iraq, Bahrain, provided security for Iraqi Oil Platforms, and patrolled all coasts areas, and harbors.  He returned to CONUS in January 2006.  He received an Army Commendation Medal, various campaign medals and service medals for service in combat. Lcdr Sand was promoted to rank of Commander on March 1, 2006. On November 1, 2007, Cdr Sand was selected for Command of COMSUBGRUTEN Reserve Detachment and he was relieved in January 2010. In 2012 he was selected as the Navy Emergency Planning Liaison Officer for ND.  On April 18, 2012, Cdr Sand was promoted to Captain.  His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, six Navy Commendation Medals, an Army Commendation Medal, three Navy Achievement Medals, and a number of campaign and service medals.

In 2000, Duane Sand was a candidate for the US Senate in North Dakota.  In 2003,Duane was theProject Management Consultant for construction and owner of a new 26-room Super-8 Motel, a separate restaurant/lounge, and a three 8-plex apartment buildings, in ND and MN; his Management Consulting Company, specialize in apartment buildings, hotels and restaurants.  In 2004, he was a candidate for US Congress in North. May 2006 he was appointed Presidential Special Assistant to Department of Defense. From June 2006 – 2008, Duane was appointed State Director of the Americans For Prosperity Chapters for North & South Dakota.  In 2008, he founded the North Dakota Taxpayers Association, and ran for Congress in ND.   From 2009 to Present DSCA Certified with the US Navy, in support of FEMA Region VIII, for all Stafford Act Operations. Duane founded, “The Sand Group” in January 2011 to build apartments for people in the general population, the business has exploded into a thriving small business.    
Capt Sand is a life member of the American Legion lifetime member), the Reserve Officers Association (ROA), North Dakota Taxpayers Association (NDTA), is the State Commander of the North Dakota Submariners Association, and is Executive Director of North Dakota Heroes Foundation, specializing in building monuments for North Dakotan’s killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Capt Sand’s campaign has been endorsed by Dick Morris, Herman Cain, Veterans for a Strong America, Independent Truckers Association, Afghanistan & Iraqi Veterans for Congress, all of North Dakota’s Tea Party Organization.  Capt Sand has been married to his wife Holly for 17 years, they have two children, Allen age 16,  and Hannah age 13; they attend Evangel Assembly Church in  Bismarck, ND.

The Combat Veterans for Congress PAC is pleased to endorse Capt Duane Sand, USNR who will bring to Congress extraordinary public sector and private sector skills and wisdom to better solve problems and represent his Congressional District and the Republic. If you review Capt Sand’s positions on his Web site, you would be pleased with his stands; they agree with the Combat Veterans For Congress Mission Statement.  We look forward to working with Capt Sand, and are pleased that a Combat Veteran of his caliber is running for Congress.  If you have friends, associates, or relatives who know voters in North Dakota, kindly pass this E-mail on to them, and ask them to support Capt Sand by working in 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 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.