Did Kristi Noem Ever Serve in the Military? She Is Part of the Civil Air Patrol

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has been one of the most prominent members of the Trump administration since taking office. Charged with immigration enforcement, Noem has also taken an active role in Trump's attempts to deploy the National Guard to various cities under Democratic control.

Given that Noem has been so focused on military action in these cities, many naturally wondered whether she ever served in the military herself. Here's what we know about her history.

Although Noem has occasionally dressed in military fatigues to film videos or appear in public, she has never served in any branch of the military. What is true, though, is that she was a member of South Dakota's Civil Air Patrol while in the state legislature, and continued serving there for some time afterward. Although it partners with the U.S. Air Force, the Civil Air Patrol is a nonprofit organization that serves as an auxiliary to the official Air Force.

According to its website, the Civil Air Patrol is federally funded.

"Based on our core values of integrity, volunteer service, excellence, and respect, CAP provides a welcoming environment for all who qualify for membership and ensures that our organizational decisions are based on each individual’s abilities and interests. The opportunity to participate and progress is limited only by the desire, ability, participation, and performance of an individual," the site says.

So, while Noem didn't serve in the military, she was a civilian involved in supporting the Air Force. That designation is meaningful, and Noem does not talk much about that volunteer work or whether she was ever called into service. CAP is most likely to be involved in emergency relief, which, as a member of the legislature and eventually the governor, Noem likely would have been involved in anyway.

Portland, Ore., has become a hotbed of political debate after President Trump threatened to deploy the National Guard there, arguing that they are needed to quell violence in the city.

As part of that effort, Noem traveled to the city as well, and while there, she reinforced the president's narrative that crime is rampant in the city (a narrative that is belied by facts on the ground).

During an interview on Fox News on Oct. 7, Noem said that if the city's mayor did not comply with her demands for increased security around the ICE facility in Portland, then “we were going to send four times the amount of federal officers” to the city.

Police Chief Bob Day, meanwhile, acknowledged that he did not agree with Noem's characterization of the protests.

“There’s clearly differences of opinion," he said about his meeting with the secretary, per KATU2. "I wouldn’t say that we’re all in alignment on every point, but I can say that, you know, we continue to be professionals, and we continue to strive for a shared value of safety."