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Reservist politician inaugurated in Iraq

On New Year’s Day, Marine reservist Gunnery Sgt. Louis Bain found himself standing in front of his commander, swearing.

It wasn’t because the 32-year-old combat engineer deployed to Iraq was in trouble. He had been elected to the Burns Harbor, Ind., City Council.

Bain was re-elected to his seat on the city council Nov. 1 while serving in Iraq, and sworn into office Jan. 1 with the help of 6th Engineer Support Battalion Forward Commanding Officer Lt. Col. William Rusciolelli.

This marks the second term on the council for Bain in the town of about 1,000. He had previously served a four-year term on the council, a position that pays an annual salary of $4,000.

While it wasn’t the first time he served on the council, it was the first time he campaigned for the job from Iraq. The Marine reservist of 14 years deployed to Iraq in August as an attachment to the 6th Combat Support Battalion, which is headquartered out of Portland, Ore., his wife, Virginia, said in a phone interview.

Through phone calls and e-mails to his wife, Bain outlined his platform. She then went door-to-door to campaign for him. “I stood at the polls on election day in the freezing cold. He won by three votes,” she said.