Richard Wukmir for Roseville City Council District 2
I was born in California in 1982. In my early life I travelled across the country with my family while my father was in the military. After my father left the military, we settled in Roseville, California in 1992. I grew up in Roseville and have always called it home.
I left Roseville in 2000 to go to college and join the military. During my world travels with the United States Army I had the opportunity to see many places and different ways of living. I believe these unique experiences have given me a better understanding of the spectrum of government and how important it is that we work to maintain our fragile civilization. Seeing different perspectives has always been important to allowing me to see our common issues and values.
I took my oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. That oath took me to some strange and foreign lands over the course of two decades. Now it has brought me home.
I have seen strong stable governments when I was in Germany. I have seen safe democratic governments like South Korea. I worked alongside corrupt inefficient government officials in Iraq. And I have worked with chaotic and near-failing governments during my time in Afghanistan.
I worked with the Afghan National Police Force and border patrol units while serving as a Special Police Transition Team member and military advisor in the Kandahar and Zabul provinces. During this time I was able to see the effects of a lawless and porous border upon the local population and communities. I thought about this a lot while serving at Fort Bliss, along the border of El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico.
I also worked as a military and cultural liaison officer for the 2nd Infantry Division and the Republic of Korea 6th Corps headquarters, with responsibilities along the Demilitarized Zone and northern border. During this time I saw the South Korean president impeached and, after the president was removed from office, her successor arrested her and charged her with abuse of power. The former president of South Korea was later convicted and is currently serving a 24 year prison sentence.
I saw all of this during my travels. After seeing all of these things and more I decided to run for office. We need local protection in our own communities now more than ever.
Now, I have finally returned back home. I am thankful to the people of Roseville who have kept this community safe and prosperous during the years I was away from home on military campaigns. I hope that I can return the favor and continue to keep Roseville safe and prosperous throughout my political campaigns.