Nikki Haley wishes husband farewell at deployment ceremony

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley wished her husband farewell at a ceremony Saturday as he starts a yearlong deployment in Africa with the South Carolina Army National Guard.

Maj. Michael Haley, the husband of the former ambassador to the United Nations, is being sent as a staff officer with the 218^th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade in the Horn of Africa. 

The ceremony was for about 200 soldiers at The Citadel, a military college in Charleston. 

“He’s always been my rock,” Haley said after the ceremony. “We have both lived a life of service, and so when he goes off to deploy, my support is completely with him. If I happen to be running for president, his support is completely with me.” 

“We will continue to stay in touch as best we can,” she added. 

Her husband’s deployment was announced last month, just a few months into her bid for the GOP nomination for 2024. He is expected to remain deployed through the spring of next year — which will likely encompass most of her campaigning. 

The area where Michael is being sent is experiencing its worst drought in four decades. More than 43 million people from Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya need help, and more than half of them do not have access to enough food. 

Nikki and Michael Haley have been married for 26 years. He has consistently been present at rallies she has held so far during her candidacy. The campaign has said their son, Nalin, will take over the role Michael has served. 

Haley has often discussed her role as the wife of a member of the military. Michael joined the National Guard in 2006 and was first deployed overseas in January 2013, during Haley’s first term as governor of South Carolina. 

The Associated Press contributed.