After more than four decades in uniform, including as Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy, I learned that leadership is not measured by slogans, titles, or campaign rhetoric. It is measured by judgment under pressure, loyalty to mission, steadiness in adversity, and the willingness to make hard decisions when others would rather avoid them.
After hearing the candidates for United States Senate speak at the Shelby County GOP forum last week, the choice is clear. I am proud to endorse Congressman Barry Moore for the United States Senate.
In this race, the mission is clear. Alabama needs a United States Senator who will stand with President Donald Trump, defend Alabama values, strengthen our national security, and help restore American resolve at home and abroad. Barry Moore has already been tested in that fight.
As a retired naval officer, I understand the chain of command. I also understand the weight of a Commander in Chief’s judgment. When President Trump says he needs Barry Moore in the United States Senate, conservatives should take that seriously. President Trump is not merely offering a political preference. He is identifying the kind of ally he needs in Washington to carry out the mission the American people elected him to pursue.
In the military, unity of command matters. A commander cannot execute a mission effectively if the team is divided, uncertain, or distracted. The same principle applies in public service. If conservatives want President Trump to secure the border, rebuild American strength, rein in reckless spending, protect our freedoms, and put America first, then we should send him senators who are proven, reliable, and ready to serve.
Barry Moore is that kind of leader.
He has served in Congress. He has taken tough votes. He has stood firm when the pressure was real. In Washington, that matters. It is easy to talk about fighting for conservative values. It is harder to actually do it when lobbyists, media pressure, party insiders, and political convenience are all pushing in the opposite direction.
Barry has shown that he will not forget where he came from or whom he represents. He is a small businessman, a man of faith, a husband, a father, and a public servant who understands the people of Alabama. He knows that our state does not need another senator chasing applause in Washington. We need a senator who will stand up for Alabama, stand with President Trump, and stand firm when the stakes are high.
This is especially important when it comes to national defense. The world is dangerous. Our adversaries are watching. China, Iran, Russia, and terrorist networks do not respect weakness. They respect strength, clarity, and resolve. Peace through strength is not a campaign line. It is a strategic imperative.
Barry Moore understands that national security begins with secure borders. A nation that cannot control who enters its own territory is not fully defending itself. He understands that a strong military must be properly resourced, properly led, and focused on warfighting readiness. He understands that fiscal discipline is also a national security issue, because a nation buried in debt will eventually find its military strength, diplomatic leverage, and economic independence weakened.
America needs leaders who can connect those dots. Barry can.
Just as importantly, Barry Moore understands that putting America first means leading from strength. It means ensuring our allies can trust us, our enemies understand our resolve, and our citizens know their government’s first obligation is to them.
This runoff is not about personalities. It is about mission focus.
Conservatives in Alabama have an opportunity to send President Trump a reliable ally in the Senate. We have an opportunity to choose a leader who has already been in the arena, already taken the tough votes, and already proven that he will fight for the values we share.
In the Navy, we often said that the mission comes first, the team comes second, and the individual comes third. That is the kind of mindset Washington needs more of. It is not about who can tell the best story about himself. It is about who can best serve the mission now before us.
Barry Moore is ready for that mission.
He is tested. He is conservative. He is committed to Alabama. He will help President Trump move this country in the right direction. And he will be a senator Alabama can count on when it matters most.
I am proud to support Barry Moore in the Republican runoff for the United States Senate, and I encourage my fellow conservatives to do the same.
Vice Admiral Sean Buck, U.S. Navy, Retired, is a former Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, a career Naval Officer, and a resident of Vestavia Hills, Alabama.
