It was less a ho-hum collective Facebook approval and more a genuinely heartfelt, bipartisan, nonpartisan bon voyage to New Jersey’s favorite late-blooming man in uniform.

That was the send-off the state gave Frank Luna (above, center) when he went into the United States National Guard.

Now, sources are buzzing about a possible return by Luna, not to the back rooms he worked as a consigliere to some of the most powerful Republicans in the state – but as a frontline candidate for office himself.

Officially a member of the New Jersey Army National Guard, Luna’s been making the rounds – and trailing whispers.

He showed up last week at a rally co-sponsored by Monmouth GOP Chairman Shaun Golden and Ocean GOP Chairman Frank Holman.

Luna seemed liked the perfect, tailor-made guest at that event.

A Jersey Shore-based Republican, he has deep ties to Ocean County, where he served as former U.S. Rep. Tom MacArthur’s (R-3) aide-de-camp and political shepherd. Luna cut his teeth during the Christie years, and went through multiple wars, in Ocean, of course, where he helmed the primary candidacies of some bloodied but still active Republican veterans; and in Bergen.

He’s close to Assemblyman Ryan Peters (R-8) of Burlington County (above, right), too, who in part inspired Luna’s decision to opt for military service.

Keep an eye on him.

If he doesn’t run next year, he might the year after, and he has options, given his deep shore roots in both Monmouth and Ocean, considerable political experience – and now military service.