On August 4, Republican primary voters chose retired Army Maj. Gen. Bert Mizusawa of McLean as their nominee for U.S. Senate. He beat David Williams of Reston and Kim Farington of Fairfax Station, according to the Prince William Times. In November he faces Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, who is seeking a fourth term.
As the Washington Examiner reports, Mizusawa is making his case as a battle-tested alternative whose decades in uniform fit a state with deep military roots. His record backs that up.
Mizusawa was born in Honolulu, the son of an Air Force enlisted man. He grew up on military posts in Europe, Asia, and the United States before his family settled in Hampton, where he graduated from Kecoughtan High School in 1975.
He went on to West Point and graduated first in the Class of 1979. Given first pick of the Army’s career fields, he chose the infantry. He later earned a law degree from Harvard Law School and a master’s in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.
In November 1984, Capt. Mizusawa commanded the Joint Security Force Company at Panmunjom in the Korean Demilitarized Zone. It was the Army’s most forward-deployed combat unit.
When a Soviet defector ran across the line, about 30 North Korean soldiers crossed in pursuit and opened fire. Mizusawa led his company through the firefight and personally guided the defector to safety while under fire. His Silver Star citation credits him with deliberately exposing himself to enemy fire in front of his own troops to ensure the mission succeeded.
Mizusawa served in the Army from 1979 to 2015. He was an Airborne Ranger and master parachutist, and served as a paratrooper in Italy. From 2001 to 2004, he was the first commander of the Army Reserve Information Operations Command, the Army Reserve’s new cyber command.
As a general officer, he served in Iraq as deputy to the commanding general of Multinational Corps-Iraq. He was promoted to major general in 2011 and became deputy director for strategic initiatives on the Joint Staff. He later served as reserve assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He also commanded the Combined Joint Interagency Task Force-Afghanistan, which earned the Joint Meritorious Unit Award.
His civilian career has been just as substantial:
Mizusawa’s campaign centers on national security, secure borders, energy independence, and fiscal responsibility. In a candidate profile for WAVY, he pointed to more than four decades of service to the country. For a state that hosts the Pentagon, major military bases, and much of the intelligence community, that experience is directly relevant.
Virginians deserve to see the two candidates side by side. So far, they won’t get that chance. AARP Virginia had scheduled a debate for October 7 in Richmond. Warner cited scheduling conflicts and declined, canceling the only debate on the calendar. AARP’s state director said the debate would have given voters a chance to hear the candidates’ plans on issues like Social Security and family caregiving.
A three-term incumbent who is confident in his record should be willing to defend it on a debate stage. Warner should reconsider.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. Early voting is underway. Learn more about Mizusawa at bertforsenate.com, share his story with your neighbors, and ask Mark Warner why he won’t debate.