Originally from Houston, Texas, Rep. Dan Crenshaw is a proud 6th generation Texan. His father’s career in the Texas oil and gas industry moved his family all over the world, including Ecuador and Colombia. As a result, Dan is fluent in Spanish. From an early age, Dan knew that he wanted to serve his country with the most elite fighting force in history: the U.S. Navy SEALs.
He graduated from Tufts University in 2006, where he earned his Naval officer commission through Navy ROTC. Following graduation, he immediately reported to SEAL training in Coronado, CA, where he met his future wife, Tara. After graduating SEAL training, Dan deployed to Fallujah, Iraq to join SEAL Team Three, his first of five deployments overseas.
On Dan’s third deployment in 2012, his life changed forever. After six months of combat operations, he was hit by an IED blast during a mission in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was evacuated and awoke from his medically induced coma learning that his right eye had been destroyed in the blast and his left eye was badly damaged. Dan was completely blind and the doctors did not believe he would ever see again. Tara stood by him every day and night, keeping faith and praying he would see again. After several difficult surgeries and months of fighting a tough diagnosis, Dan eventually regained sight in his left eye, a miracle according to the head surgeon. Dan refused to quit and went on to deploy twice more, first back to the Middle East in 2014 and then South Korea in 2016.
Dan was medically retired in September of 2016 as a Lieutenant Commander after serving ten years in the SEAL Teams. He left service with two Bronze Stars (one with Valor), the Purple Heart, and the Navy Commendation Medal with Valor, among many other accolades. Soon after, Dan completed his Master’s in Public Administration at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Shortly after Dan returned to Houston, his community was hit by Hurricane Harvey.
The storm brought devastation the region had never seen before. He spent his time volunteering in areas of Katy, helping his neighbors recover from the damage. He saw first-hand the unthinkable losses that Texas suffered, but he also saw Texan grit and resilience. This inspired him to do more for his community. Shortly after, Dan and Tara decided that the best way to serve the people of Texas would be in elected office.
In November 2018, Dan was elected to represent the people of Texas’s Second Congressional District. He believes in service before self and understands that there is no higher calling than service to the American people. Although he can no longer fight on the battlefield, the integrity, leadership, vision, and tenacity he learned in the SEAL teams is present every day in his fight for common sense solutions in Congress.
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