User:Ridgedoga/Adam Cote

Adam Cote is a Iraq War Veteran running for Congress as a Democrat in Maines 1st CD to fill the seat of Rep. Tom Allen who is running for Senate.

A graduate of Colby College Cote earned his law degree from the University of Maine law school where he was Magna Cum Laude. He currently works as a lawyer for Pierce Atwood LLP in Portland, where he focuses on real estate law and domestic and international energy policy, with a particular focus on renewable energy. Adam served in the Army in Bosnia and in Iraq, where he created the "Adopt an Iraqi Village" program and received two Army Commendation Medals.

Bosnia
Adam enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves as a military policeman after his graduation from Colby. After after basic training Adam received advanced individual training at Ft. McClellan, Alabama, and was then deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of the NATO peacekeeping mission, Operation Joint Guard.

Adam served in Bosnia from October 1997 until April 1998, where he was involved in apprehending several war criminals wanted by the Hague; organized a Toys for Tots program in his platoon to distribute toys and stuffed animals to the children of Bosnia, volunteered to teach English at a Bosnian High School; and arranged, with the help of the Saco Bay Rotary Club, for the son of his interpreter, Ognjen "Ogy" Nickolic, to come to Maine to study at Thornton Academy in Saco.

After the War
When he returned from the Balkins Adam served as a staff judge advocate (JAG) for the Maine Army National Guard, became one of only three Mainers on the National Advisory Council for the Small Business Administration, and serves as a member of the Maine Real Estate Developers Association legislative committee and the Greater Portland Board of Advisors for the Salvation Army.

The Iraq War
In 2004 2004 Bush ordered Adam to Iraq. Once there Adam served as an officer in Mosul, Iraq with Maine's 133rd Engineer Battalion from March until February 2005. Adam led well over 100 convoys in Iraq. He was also in charge of multiple reconstruction efforts in Iraq, including schools and medical clinics.

Adam was in the mess hall on the U.S. base in Mosul on December 21, 2004 when a suicide bomber walked in and blew himself up, killing or wounding over one hundred soldiers and civilians. Adam was one of the few soldiers on the scene uninjured in the attack and he quickly assessed the situation and organized efforts to treat and evacuate casualties. He personally treated numerous casualties and stayed on the scene until everyone had been evacuated. Adam was awarded an Army Commendation Medal for his leadership during the attack.

Politics
In 2007 Adam Cote announced that he was running for Congress in Maines 1st Congressional District.

There are now over 91 hits for "Adam Cote" on google news (normal google produces 15,200 for his name) and that's just going back one month to May of 2008 

These articles include USA today and six article in the both of which are Newspapers of record.

According to Congressional Quarterly he stands a good chance of being nominated. 

Endorsements

 * Major General Bill Libby
 * Senator/Medal of Honor recipient Bob Kerrey
 * VoteVets.org
 * Supreme Allied Commander General Wesley Clark

Misc.
Official Campaign site

Category:Maine politicians Category:Living people Category:Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom veteran politicians