I urge all my fellow Coupeville voters to elect Tom Tack to our town council. I think I have a rather unique insight into Tom both professionally and personally as I served with him during his last three years on active duty.

During most of that time Tom was the Commodore for the Electronic Attack Wing and I was his administrative department’s leading Senior Chief Petty Officer. A finer officer and boss cannot be found. Tom’s thoughtfulness, compassion, work ethic and integrity are, quite frankly, unmatched. In all my years of enlisted service I never worked for a finer man and that’s why I asked him to serve as guest speaker at my retirement ceremony.

As you make your choice this election, consider this. In his two years running our around-the-clock, globally deployed 4,500-person command, Tom took a grand total of 10 days of vacation. All of it in Coupeville where he could quickly return to work and respond to his squadrons in Iraq and Afghanistan. He spent his Thanksgivings with the troops in the Middle East rather than Coupeville with his family. Tom is as dedicated and selfless a person as I have ever met. He’s the type of council member I want and the type of public official we desperately need.

It has become cliché for candidates to claim they have leadership skills without the track record to prove it, but as a guy who watched this man lead a huge organization effortlessly, during particularly difficult and busy times, I know he’s the right choice for Coupeville. I urge you to join me in voting for Tom Tack for Town Council.

Dave Thompson

Coupeville