VIRGINIA (TIP): Krystle Kaul, a noted Indian American defense and national security expert, is running for Congress from Virginia’s 10th District in the Democratic primary to inspire the next generation of young Indian American girls. Kaul with a 20-plus-year career with the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community, says she is seeking to bring her wealth of national security knowledge and experience to the halls of Congress.
Her campaign is driven by a passion for public service, a commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our nation, and a desire to shape a better future for her constituents and the country, she says.
Currently, Kaul runs a defense technology company helping small to large tech companies work with the government. Her clients include startups owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, disabled veteran-owned and women-owned companies, medium-sized businesses and large companies, including Bank of New York Mellon, McKinsey, Intel Corporation and Bain & Company.
Virginia’s 10th Congressional district includes all of Rappahannock County, Fauquier County, and Loudoun County, parts of Fairfax County and Prince William County, as well as the independent cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.
“My motivation to run for Congress stems from my desire to be an inspiration for the next generation of young Indian American girls,” she told The American Bazaar. “I aim to empower them to pursue any leadership role they set their sights on in life.”
“I was publishing articles about getting more Indian Americans into politics while working on Capitol Hill when I was 19 years old participating in the Washington Leadership Program,” recalled Kaul.
“Indian Americans have succeeded in virtually all industries in the US, but they are vastly underrepresented in politics,” she said.
“I believe our government system is broken and we need more authentic leaders with moderate voices to help foster an environment of dialogue and effect change for this generation and the next generation to come.”
Asked why she thought she was the best candidate, Kaul said, “As a fervent proponent of defense and national security, with a 20+ year career with the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community I have committed my career to protecting the homeland.”
“As such, I am committed to upholding the importance of defense and security in District 10 which is the predominant industry considering most constituents work in the US defense space,” she said.
“I understand the issues the constituents face because I have walked in their shoes and understand the daily challenges of working in the US defense industrial base,” Kaul said.
“I commit my career to public service where I can make a difference in the lives of our military, veterans, government officials, government contractors, small businesses, minority groups and all of District 10.”
“I am committed to bettering our education, health care and public safety in VA District 10 because our elected officials have not adequately served the people in the VA House,” Kaul added.
According to her website, Kaul has played pivotal roles in shaping the way America approaches its most critical security challenges, particularly through her work with the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to public service and a deep passion for shaping the future of our nation, it says.
As the former Director of Strategic Communications (GS-15) at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Krystle demonstrated her ability to navigate complex national security communication strategies. Her leadership in this role exemplified her dedication to safeguarding the nation and ensuring the clear, effective communication of vital security information.
She also served as the Chief of the Political-Military Intelligence Night Cell on the Department of Defense’s ISIS Crisis Group under Secretary Lloyd Austin at US Central Command contributing significantly to the defense of the homeland during a time of war, the website says.
Notably, she has also contributed her expertise to the National Counterproliferation Center at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence as Senior Advisor.
In this capacity, she played a critical role in addressing proliferation threats, reinforcing the security of the nation, and fostering collaboration between intelligence agencies.
Her service as a Senior Advisor to the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center underscores her forward-thinking approach to tackling emerging technology-related national security challenges.
Her contributions to projects such as the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Project Salus, an AI predictive modeling effort aimed at combatting the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrate her dedication to crisis management and public safety.
Krystle holds double MA degrees from Brown University and Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. She was working on her PhD at Brown University in Political Science. Kaul has participated in 12 competitive fellowships with the Department of Homeland Security and others.
She also participated in seven elite delegations to India, Israel, China and several other countries. She has in-country experience in 71 countries.
She speaks eight languages, including Hindi, Urdu, Spanish, Arabic, Punjabi, Italian and Dari. Kaul holds an active Top Secret/SCI security clearance with a polygraph.