Politics aside, both vice presidential nominees have something in common: sons in the Marine Corps.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Gov. Mike Pence, R-Ind., are both proud fathers to Marine officers. Kaine, Hillary Clinton's running mate, has a son in the infantry. Pence, Donald Trump's vice presidential pick, has a son in flight school.
Kaine's son, 1st First Lt. Nathaniel Kaine, is an infantry officer serving with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines Regiment, 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, according to Marine officials, according to a statement from II Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs.
First Lt. Nathaniel Kaine, left, a Marine infantry officer and son of Hillary Clinton's vice presidential pick, hands a Tanzanian park ranger a certificate of appreciation during a graduation ceremony in Matambwe, Tanzania, in 2015.
Photo Credit: Cpl. Lucas Hopkins/Marine Corps
The 26-year-old joined the Marine Corps in 2012 and is about to deploy to Eastern Europe with the Marine Corps' Black Sea Rotational Force, his father noted during his first speech as Hillary Clinton’s running mate in Miami on Saturday.
"[My son] is a proud Marine, and in just a few days he’s deploying to Europe to uphold America’s commitment to our NATO allies," Sen. Kaine told the crowd. "For me, this drives home the stakes in this election."
First Lt. Kaine also deployed for six months in 2015 in support of Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force—Crisis Response—Africa. He was not immediately available to comment. His Lt. Kaine’s awards include the National Defense Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Medal and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon. The first lieutenant is deploying to Eastern Europe with the Black Sea Rotational Force, which his father noted during his first speech as Hillary Clinton’s running mate in Miami on Saturday.First Lt. Kaine graduated from The Basic School at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, in 2013.
Sen. Kaine was unable to respond to a Marine Corps Times interview request, but aA spokeswoman for his father the senator said Kaine is he’s "enormously proud of his son."
Gov. Pence's son, 2nd Lt. Michael Pence, is in flight school at Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Florida.(His current command is Training Command, Marine Aviation Training Support Group-21...do we mention that, too?) During the governor's acceptance speech as Donald Trump's pick for vice president at the Republican National Convention last week, he noted that said he is "the proud father of a United States Marine."
Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence stands on stage with his family at the Republican National Convention on July 20. Pence's son, Michael, second from left, is a Marine officer.
Photo Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images
After studying at Purdue University, 2nd Lt. Pence graduated from Officer Candidate School at board Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, in 2015.
Second Lt. Pence's command declined a request for comment, citing the need for him to remain focused on flight school. In order to remain focused on flight school, 2nd Lt. Pence was unable to respond to questions submitted by Marine Corps Times regarding his relationship with his father and his father’s stance on the military, according to a spokesman for Training and Education Command.
Charlsy is a Reporter and Engagement Manager for Military Times. Email her at cpanzino@militarytimes.com.
