Hi, this is Steve Inskeep with a special episode of Up First.
It's a conversation from our brand new sister show, NPR's Newsmakers.
In each episode, we interview some of the most influential people of our time.
Real questions, pushing for real answers to drive at what they really think.
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Wes Moore is the Democratic governor of Maryland.
He's considered a rising Democratic star, and he's sometimes talked about as a future presidential candidate.
Moore is also an American combat veteran, and that was relevant to the discussion
we had here in the Maryland State House.
I want to ask about some news.
What are you thinking as your former unit, the 82nd Airborne Division, is deployed to the Middle East?
You know, I've had a lot of conversations with some of the folks that I serve with.
In fact, recently, as early as this morning, there was always something that we knew as paratroopers,
as members of the 82nd, or just frankly, anybody in the military,
is that you never authorize military force unless, A, military force was the last option.
B, we had an understanding of what the mission and the end game was.
And C, you were spending your time and your energy building the right kind of coalition
that could help to be successful in advance.
The problem with this mission is none of those things have A,
not been accomplished, but I'm not sure if any of the three of them have even been thought about.