Hawaii Ex-Lawmaker Djou Serves Afghanistan Stint

WASHINGTON (AP) -- While other candidates for Congress have been wooing voters and donors, former Rep. Charles Djou of Hawaii has spent the past six months in Afghanistan where he was responsible for interrogating suspected Taliban fighters.

Congress is made up of numerous war veterans. But the Republican represents a rare instance in which a former lawmaker went from the partisan skirmishes on Capitol Hill to the real battlefront.

Djou is a major in the Army Reserves and recently returned to Hawaii from a stint that comes with obvious disadvantages and advantages. He could not engage in political activities, so he was out of the public eye for six months.

However, his service will appeal to many voters regardless of their political affiliation, which is important in a Democratic stronghold like Hawaii.

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