MIRAMAR BEACH — John Mills, retired U.S. Navy pilot, is campaigning as a Republican for Florida’s 1st Congressional District, a seat retiring Rep. Jeff Miller is vacating.
“While faithfully serving 26 years in the U.S. Navy, I commanded two Naval Security Force Units, and directed Navy regional and local emergency management operations,” Mills said in a statement. “I learned to handle crisis situations quickly and effectively. I will carry those crisis management skills to Congress, where so many seem to be unaware of the dire situation that surrounds them.”
“America is in crisis!” he said. “I am prepared to face our country’s challenges head on. We face unprecedented and unsustainable debt, our economy is in limbo, our relationships abroad are tense, and our military is strained; meanwhile, Washington bureaucrats continue to squabble. I intend to build on Florida’s 1st Congressional District legacy of strong, conservative values as we reach a turning point and begin to move our great nation forward once again.
“I was honored to receive the Florida Governor’s Hurricane Conference Emergency Management of the Year Award in 1998 for innovative thinking. I worked with the Department of Defense, Escambia County Emergency Management, Escambia County School Board, and American Red Cross, making significant accomplishments in sheltering, a common need for all entities involved.”
Mills works in the aerospace defense industry, and lives in Miramar Beach with his wife, Trina, and daughters, Julie and Nancy.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Navy retiree seeks Florida District 1 Congressional seat