Presidential Contender Leaving Campaign Trail for National Guard Duty

Tulsi Gabbard won't be campaigning for two weeks—because she has National Guard duty. The Hawaii congresswoman and Democratic presidential candidate is also a major in the Hawaii Army National Guard and has served tours in Iraq and Kuwait, Hawaii News Now reports. "I’m stepping off of the campaign trail for a couple of weeks and putting on my Army uniform to go on a joint training exercise mission in Indonesia," she told CBS News. The active-duty assignment began Monday, and she leaves for Indonesia Wednesday.

"I love our country. I love being able to serve our country in so many ways including as a soldier," she said. "And so while some people are telling me, like gosh this is a terrible time to leave the campaign, can’t you find a way out of it? You know that’s not what this is about. I'm not really thinking about how this will impact my campaign. I'm looking forward to being able to fulfill my service and my responsibility."