Setti Warren discusses his victory in Newton

Wearing jeans, sneakers, and a leather jacket with patches from his Navy service sewn on, Warren discussed the impact his military service had on the campaign. Boston.com/Newton reported today that he is the latest in a string of Iraq war veterans to seek office.

Warren said he entered Naval Reserves to continue a family tradition of military service. His father is a Korean War veteran, and his grandfather served in World War II.

“I was so proud to serve in the United State Navy,” Warren said. “But then you have the opportunity to be in this extraordinary community.”

Warren said military rules kept him from discussing any specifics of his service, and he rarely spoke of his time in Iraq during the campaign.

He said current military rules would not allow for him to be called back to active duty before his service is over.

In candidate debates, Warren frequently pointed to his experience in government, rather than to his military service, in asserting that he was qualified to be mayor. Warren most recently worked as deputy state director for U.S. Sen. John Kerry, and worked 10 months as director of the New England Region of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Warren’s former boss Sen. John Kerry, who made his own military service a major part of his 2004 presidential campaign, said in an interview that only Newton voters know if Warren’s military experience helped him win election.

“I think his whole life experience helped him,” said Kerry, who campaigned for Warren. “I’m very pleased for Setti that he has this opportunity… I’m enormously excited about it. I think he’s dedicated to public service.”

Asked about the role of young veterans in politics, Kerry said he’s certainly seen veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan make good use of what they learned in the military about managing people, leading people, and making decisions.

“Service to the military is an enormously good training ground for leadership,” he said. “People who serve have a terrific grounding in management.”

That much was clear Wednesday, as Warren looked ahead to taking over for longtime Mayor David Cohen. "There’s a lot to do between now and the time I take office," said Warren, who will announce details about his transition team Friday. "It is going to be pretty busy. I feel very strongly about hitting the ground running."