Candace enlisted in the military, attending Officer Candidate School to earn her commission in the U.S. Army. Her assignments include service with the Joint Special Operations Command and the 18th Airborne Corps. She is a combat veteran and was part of both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
For the past 15 years, Candace has served at both the local and international level through mission trips and service projects. In August 2021, Candace and her husband joined other volunteers in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., to assist with the evacuation of our Allies from Afghanistan. She served as the site manager for the Emirates Humanitarian City in Abu Dhabi, serving approximately 15,000 Afghans. She is currently the Chief Operations Officer for The Black Feather Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on helping refugee children acclimate to their new environment through sports.
Candace has been married for 23 years to retired Special Forces (SF) Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Joe Cieslo. They have three biological children and are also the legal guardians of three Afghan Refugee minors. She was awarded a 4-year, full scholarship to play for Georgetown University Women’s Basketball Team, that became the Big East Co-Champion and a Sweet 16 participant in 1993.
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The Neutral Position is Hosted by Nick Palmisciano
Nick Palmisciano is a New York Times Bestselling Author, Filmmaker, Founding Board Member of the international rescue non-profit Save Our Allies, and the CEO of the full-service marketing agency Diesel Jack Media. Nick is a Graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and received his MBA from Duke University. He received the prestigious “Entrepreneur of the Year” award from the Entrepreneur Organization in 2015 and is a proud recipient of the U.S. Army Ranger Tab.
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