The Kevin Cavanaugh veteran paradox, explained

Kevin Cavanaugh, the county supervisor representing Maricopa and a sheriff candidate, hasn’t escaped the heat .

It was a brief retort to an opponent regarding military service in the middle of a stump speech during a June 12 Republican event in Saddlebrooke that landed him in hot water again.

This time, he’s caught up in a paradox — he says he’s a U.S. Military veteran, but also that he’s not a veteran.

A video provided to InMaricopa from multiple sources showed Cavanaugh reciting his résumé since 1986. He tacked on a brief mention of his service in the U.S. Coast Guard, a remark aimed at his rival in the Pinal County Sheriff race, Ross Teeple, who that night claimed to be the only GOP candidate with military experience.

“I’ve served in the Coast Guard, I don’t take offense that you denied my service, Ross,” Cavanaugh said, gesturing toward the camera several times.

It’s a curious statement, considering Cavanaugh has not mentioned his service before, a detail noticed by Florence Town Councilmember and American Legion Commander Jose Maldonado.

“[Cavanaugh] was saying he was in the Coast Guard,” Maldonado said. “Never, in any office he ran for, has he mentioned that.”

That part is true. The sitting District 1 supe does not list his service and rank as a seaman apprentice in his county biography , on his campaign website or in any other media.

In fact, in government documents filed with the county, including candidacy paperwork, he checks “No” on the question, “Have you served on active duty in the United States Military Service for 181 consecutive days?”

The truth lies in a gray area.

Cavanaugh told InMaricopa he was honorably discharged from the Coast Guard in 1988, two years after he began his career as a reserve police officer. He said he hasn’t revealed this information before for two reasons.

Firstly, he was discharged for a bee sting allergy.

“Within a couple weeks of finishing [basic training, a woman] got stung by a bee and nearly died,” he said. “So, they said anybody with bee sting allergies needed to get desensitized. I was last in line, and I couldn’t go to my A-school until I got desensitized.”

Cavanaugh said after several weeks in Coast Guard medical hold, a doctor told him his low ranking could delay his entry to become a boatswain’s mate by up to two years and recommended a discharge.

“I was working in the hospital because I wasn’t allowed outside,” he said. “I was watching other people’s class graduate and they’re going off to A-schools, and I’m feeding people peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.”

Cavanaugh added another reason he opted to not share his stint in the service — because the Coast Guard wasn’t part of the military at the time.

“It was under US Department of Transportation at the time and not regularly considering a ‘Branch’ of the military (sic),” he told InMaricopa . “I do not list ‘Military Service’ on employment applications because [the Coast Guard] was not a branch of the military at the time I joined.”

In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson transferred the branch from the Department of Treasury to the Department of Transportation. Three decades later, the Coast Guard became a part of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003 as a response to 9/11.

His opponent isn’t satisfied with that explanation.

It seems a reasonable explanation for not previously sharing information about his service.

But neglecting any mention before the June 12 event has drawn some suspicion from others in the political arena, including Teeple.

“I was the head of human resources when Cavanaugh got hired [in 2017],” Teeple told InMaricopa . “He did not indicate any military service on his application to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office. And then when DPS did the background, the DPS background investigator noted Cavanaugh has no military service.”

An anonymous source working on a different Pinal County campaign added his own experience.

“I can’t say anything about him being or not being in the Coast Guard,” the source said. “As far as I’m concerned, whatever comes out of Cavanaugh’s mouth needs to be verified. He’s a prolific liar.”

However, Cavanaugh claims he only made the statement as a reaction to his opponent’s false assertion.

“My remarks were in response to Mr. Teeple saying he was the only candidate who had ‘ever’ served in the military or on a sheriff’s office, neither of which were accurate,” he said.

Teeple contends those weren’t his exact words.

“At the close of my speech, I said I’m the only veteran running on the Republican ticket,” he said. “I served during Desert Storm, and I know people that didn’t make it back.”

Here’s the fun truth.

But Teeple added, “If it’s a giant mistake and he actually has a DD-214 and he produces it, I will issue an apology.”

Cavanaugh did not immediately provide a copy of his discharge paperwork to InMaricopa , but said he ordered a copy last night. In the meantime, he said claiming military service would “diminish” the experiences of others.

“It would put me on par with people who have gone to Iraq, who’ve been shot and wounded and had bullets zinging by their head,” he said. “No, I served peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in a hospital while waiting for my A-school and never got to my A-school. There’s the fun truth.”

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