Greetings! There’s a lot to talk about today at The Western Word. Here are the independent stories I’m diving into:

• Operation Epic Fury
• Montana Campaign News
• Tim Sheehy Rumbles
• Mansfield–Metcalf Celebration
• One More Thing

OPERATION EPIC FURY:

The Department of War announced the believed to be death of an Army Reserve Soldier who was supporting Operation Epic Fury.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, Calif., was at the scene of the incident on March 1, 2026, in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, and is believed to be the individual who perished at the scene. Positive identification of Chief Warrant Officer 3 Marzan will be completed by the medical examiner.  The Soldier was assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, Des Moines, Iowa.

The Department of War announced the death of an Army Reserve Soldier who was supporting Operation Epic Fury.

Maj. Jeffrey R. O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa, died on March 1, 2026, in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, during an unmanned aircraft system attack. The Soldier was assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, Des Moines, Iowa. The incident is under investigation.

Please join me in praying for these soldiers, their families, and friends. 

2026 MONTANA CAMPAIGN NEWS:

It was another exciting day in the Montana political world. Read on for the news!

A total of 380 candidates have filed for office in Montana as of Wednesday evening, per the Secretary of State’s online registry. 

Candidate filing in Montana ended Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. 

The Primary election in Montana is Tuesday, June 2, 2026. 

You can see who filed for state and federal office by clicking HERE.

Make sure your voice is heard! Check your Montana registration HERE today.

Don’t let administrative hurdles or outside interference prevent you from casting your ballot. If you reside outside of Montana, click HERE to register to vote or to update your registration. 

In other political news…

This has been one of the more exciting candidate-filing periods in Montana that I have seen. 

A few minutes before the close of filing, Republican U.S. Senator Steve Daines announced that he was withdrawing from running for reelection. He endorsed Kurt Alme, the current U.S. Attorney for Montana. Alme filed for the U.S. Senate a few minutes before the 5:00 p.m. deadline.  Sounds like it was perfectly orchestrated. 

This was great news for Montana! I never cared for Daines. He was one of the wimpiest Senators I have ever seen. He kept his nose so far up Trump’s butt that I expect he’ll land a job with him. If Daines does take a job before his term is up, the Governor can appoint Alme to give him a headstart. The sad thing is that Montana will have no seniority in Washington when Daines leaves. 

Another big news story is that former University of Montana President, Seth Bodnar, filed to run for U.S. Senate as an independent. His chances of winning have gotten a lot better since Daines withdrew. I received his announcement email around 3:00 a.m. Wednesday morning. View it HERE. 

The Bodnar campaign released a statement after Daines quit:

Steve Daines has so little respect for Montana Republicans that he withdrew at the last minute to coronate his handpicked successor instead of giving them a voice at the ballot box. This is the disgusting arrogance of Washington politicians and their party bosses who trade power back and forth like candy while Montanans are crushed under higher costs and fewer opportunities. I’m running to be an independent voice for every single Montanan who is sick of this broken political system and who wants a leader who stands up for our state against the corruption of political elites like Steve Daines and Kurt Alme.

If my counting is correct, there are 11 candidates for the U.S. Senate, with five Democrats, three Republicans, two Libertarians, and one Independent running.  

I also saw a report (Paywall) from the Helena IR that Republican state Sen. Jason Ellsworth filed to run in House District 34, a rural district that contains a huge swath of southeastern Montana. 

Ellsworth is kind of sticking to the man with his filing. 

The incumbent in HD 34 is Rep. Jerry Schillinger, R-Circle, who has been a prominent leader of the Montana Freedom Caucus, a faction of legislative Republicans whose members are farthest to the right.

Ellsworth was labeled one of the “nasty nine” by the MAGAs and had issues with the Republican leadership last session. This should be fun to watch. 

TIM SHEEHY RUMBLES: 

There are several reports out there about U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy (R-MT) being accused of breaking the hand of Marine veteran and anti-war activist Brian McGinnis during an altercation during an Armed Services hearing on Wednesday afternoon.

According to Raw Story:

During a break in a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Wednesday, McGinnis put his hand through a hole in the wall to prevent Capitol Police from removing him from the room.

A video recorded by another anti-war activist showed Sheehy getting in on the melee by grabbing McGinnis and attempting to force him through the doorway.

“His hand! His hand! Oh!” one onlooker shouted.

“The senator broke his hand!” someone else exclaimed.

“A US Senator just broke the hand of a Marine,” another member of the audience yelled. “A US Senator just broke the hand of a Marine; you’re a coward.”

Sheehy turned and walked away without successfully dislodging McGinnis.

“Yeah, go f— yourself,” someone muttered.

Sheehy posted a statement on social media about the rumble. 

It was nice to see a Republican helping Capitol Police instead of trying to harm them. 

MANSFIELD–METCALF CELEBRATION:

Don’t forget that the 48th Annual Mansfield–Metcalf Celebration is this Saturday, March 7, in Helena. The keynote address is from Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego. 

For more information, click HERE. 

ONE MORE THING:

If you are not angry, you are not paying attention. 

## THE END ##