Jon Powers - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Jonathan Powers, commonly called Jon Powers (July 3, 1978 - ) is an Iraq War veteran and was the Working Families Party

Working Families Party

The Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP...

nominee for Congress in New York's 26th congressional district

New York's 26th congressional district

The 26th Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in Western New York. It includes all of Genesee, Livingston, and Wyoming counties, and parts of Erie, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans counties...

. Powers also unsuccessfully ran in the Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

primary for Congress. Following the campaign, Jon became the Chief Operating Officer for the Truman National Security Project

Truman National Security Project

thumb|right|300pxThe Truman National Security Project is a national security leadership institute based in Washington, D.C. It is the nation's only organization that recruits, trains, and positions progressives across America to lead on national security. The organization is named after President...

. He is also a frequent commentator on the Huffington Post. His hometown is Clarence, New York

Clarence, New York

Clarence is a town located in the northeastern part of Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 30,673 according to the 2010 census. This represents an increase of 17.42% from the 2000 census figure . Clarence is also the name of a postal district in the south part of the town...

Military career and background

Powers was born and raised in the Buffalo suburb of Clarence, New York

Clarence, New York

. He received a Bachelor's degree in Education from John Carroll University

John Carroll University

John Carroll University is a private, co-educational Jesuit Catholic university in University Heights, Ohio, United States, a suburb of Cleveland. The university was founded in 1886 by the Society of Jesus as Saint Ignatius College.The university was founded in 1886 by the Society of Jesus, as...

.

Powers served as an artillery platoon leader in the 1st Armored Division

1st Armored Division (United States)

The 1st Armored Division—nicknamed "Old Ironsides"—is a standing armored division of the United States Army with base of operations in Fort Bliss, Texas. It was the first armored division of the U.S...

, and later as the Battalion Commander's Adjutant in Baghdad and Najaf. Captain Powers commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel William Rabena, described Powers as “one of the most talented officers I have known in twenty-two years of service in the Army.” Rabena went on to say that Powers possesses “extraordinary management skills, leadership, and unmatched talent to accomplish the most difficult tasks with minimal guidance.”

Powers returned from Iraq with the intention of becoming a social studies teacher in Clarence public schools. Because of his experience in Iraq, however, he returned to Baghdad and founded the non-profit organization War Kids Relief.

In 2007, Powers decided to run for Congress in New York's 26th congressional district

New York's 26th congressional district

. Powers received the endorsement of the Democratic Party and the Working Families Party

Working Families Party

. In a three-way primary for the Democratic nomination, Powers and rival Jack Davis

Jack Davis (industrialist)

John "Jack" Davis is an American industrialist and politician from Newstead, New York. He made his fourth bid for New York's 26th congressional district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in the special election held on May 24, 2011. The election was held to fill the seat vacated by...

, who had been the Democratic nominee in 2004 and 2006, released a series of negative ads targeting one another. The third candidate, Alice Kryzan claimed the Democratic nomination on September 9, 2008. Powers remained the nominee of the Working Families Party despite his efforts to have his name removed from the ballot and his endorsement of Kryzan. Kryzan was defeated by businessman Chris Lee in the general election.

War Kids Relief

When Powers served in Iraq, he witnessed first hand the need for programs that provide educational, job training, and employment opportunities for Iraqi youth. After he finished his military service, he returned to Baghdad and founded War Kids Relief. War Kids Relief's stated mission is to care for the children of war-torn nations, combating recruitment by terrorists and extremist groups through education, training, employment and other programs.

War Kids Relief programs include developing a Youth Center Work/Study Program that takes advantage of existing infrastructure and serves Iraqi youth between the ages of 16 and 25. War Kids Relief works with Iraqi stakeholders such as the Ministry of Youth and Sport, the Ministry of Education, local civic leaders, religious organizations, and the police to develop programs built on indigenous experience and expertise.

War Kids Relief has been featured in a number of national news stories, including NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams series, "Making a Difference", and the Newsweek for the cover story, "The Next Jihadists: Iraq's Lost Children".

However, the Buffalo News criticized Powers's role in War Kids Relief, noting that the organization raised only $41,738 in 2007, but paid Powers $3,000 a month.

Gunner Palace

Powers was an Officer in the Army Battalion featured in the documentary Gunner Palace

Gunner Palace

Gunner Palace is a 2004 documentary film by American documentary filmmaker Michael Tucker, which had a limited release in the United States on March 4, 2005. The film was an account of the complex realities of the situation in Iraq during 2003–2004 amidst the Iraqi insurgency not seen on the...

. He participated in a six-week publicity tour promoting the film.

External links

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