🇺🇸 HAPPY VETERANS DAY 🇺🇸

There will be times when your service feels like a thankless job. Times when you’re exhausted, frustrated, disillusioned, or questioning whether anyone truly understands or appreciates what you do. This may feel even harder during peacetime because the mission isn’t as clear. Our opposition isn’t making itself known.

Let me assure you of something: You are appreciated. You are valued. And your service matters far more than you may ever realize.

Never doubt what you mean to this nation, to your fellow service members, and to the veterans who walked this path before you.

Without those willing to hold the line, there is no military. And without those willing to defend this nation, the freedoms and way of life we’ve inherited cannot be taken for granted. Your very existence and your oath allow our fellow citizens to be softer and more distracted. Fulfilling your duty and filling those billets afford the rest of us that choice—good, bad, or indifferent.

Every one of you in uniform has a place in that responsibility. And again, we are grateful for your efforts and sacrifices.

From the individual standing watch in the darkness to the cook preparing a meal, the supply clerk, the mechanic, the logistics specialist, the bean counters, and the countless others whose contributions may never make the history books.

Our uniforms may differ. Our branches may differ. Our experiences, generations, and assignments may differ.

Some of us wore jungle boots. Some wore jump boots. Some wore desert boots, and others wear something entirely different today… and who knows what tomorrow brings?

Different eras. Different materials. Different colors. Different patterns. The same warfighter.

We know what it means to raise our right hand, take an oath, sign that dotted line, and willingly step into the unknown.

We know what it means to place something greater than ourselves ahead of our own comfort, convenience, and sometimes even our own lives.

And who better understands that commitment than those who have marched in our boots?

To those currently serving, I ask you to remember why you chose to wear that uniform.

Remember what you endured to earn the privilege of wearing it. Remember the oath you took, the people you represent, and the extraordinary responsibility placed upon your shoulders. You are part of something bigger, something greater, something historic.

There will be obstacles. There will be poor leadership, conflicting priorities, frustration, disappointment, and moments when the system seems to work against the very things you’re trying to accomplish.

But never allow those frustrations to diminish the meaning of your service.

Because the weight you carry is substantial, and with good reason.

You don’t simply protect a nation. You help preserve its opportunity to become what it was always meant to be.

A nation where people can pursue liberty, prosperity, opportunity, and the American dream.

Where children can attend school, families can gather around a dinner table, people can go to work, enjoy their weekends, celebrate their traditions, and dream of a better tomorrow.

These ordinary moments of peace are extraordinary privileges.

And they have come at an extraordinary cost.

Our nation’s history is not without its darkness. We have made terrible mistakes, including profound injustices against the Native peoples of this land and so many who arrived at our shores and helped build this nation. Those realities deserve acknowledgment, reflection, and remembrance.

Loving this country does not require pretending it has always been perfect, but with every effort made in the right direction, we march towards a brighter future.

And that responsibility belongs to every one of us.

I know how easy it is to look around today, turn on the news, and feel overwhelmed by division, hostility, pessimism, and the seemingly endless negativity.

Sometimes it feels as though everything is falling apart.

But it isn’t over. We are all still in the fight. Perfection is not a destination or endpoint; it is a commitment to try your best every single day.

Look down at your feet. Plant them firmly.

Look at the ground on which you stand. Ready yourself.

This is our home. Ours to sustain, protect, and build.

Generations before us endured hardship, sacrifice, suffering, and loss to bring us to this moment. The least we can do is honor that inheritance by striving to become better people and better Americans.

I am not suggesting that I’m better than anyone reading this or that I have it all figured out. Quite the opposite. I am an imperfect and flawed being.

I’m deeply aware of my own shortcomings. I struggle, I make mistakes, and I spend every day trying to live up to the example set by people I admire.

I’m fortunate to have surrounded myself with an incredible team of people who work harder than I do, who challenge me, who inspire me, and who remind me why I continue pushing forward.

They remind me that there is still tremendous good in this country. And yet so much potential to reach for. Who knows what tomorrow brings with the right amount of effort?

If expressing these beliefs invites ridicule, so be it.

I’d rather stand up and say something sincere, positive, and constructive than sit quietly and contribute to the cynicism tearing people apart. There will always be naysayers and trolls; let us forge ahead on the river of their tears.

If you know a veteran, call them.

If you know someone currently serving, send them a message.

If you have an old shipmate, battle buddy, squadmate, or friend you haven’t spoken to in years, reach out. Now is the time—not tomorrow, not next week, not when it’s convenient.

Right now, from your vehicle in the parking lot. Right now, on the couch after a long day. Right now.

Rekindle those bonds.

Ask how they’re doing. Listen to their stories. Let them know they’re remembered, valued, and appreciated. It is not, nor has it ever been, all for naught.

It means something. Everything means something, even if we can’t see it yet, even if we don’t see it realized in our lifetimes.

Politics aside, regardless of age, gender, rank, branch, or experience, recognize what those individuals volunteered to do.

At some point, they raised their hands and said:

Send me into the unknown.

Send me into the darkness.

Send me where others cannot or will not go.

And whatever awaits me there, I will do my part to stand between it and the people back home.

So those people may live their lives, raise their children, pursue their dreams, and enjoy the freedoms that are so easy to overlook.

On this Veterans Day, take a moment to recognize that commitment.

And if today is the only day this year you make that effort, make it count.

But I hope we can do better than that.

I hope today becomes the beginning of something greater.

A little more gratitude.

A little more understanding.

A little more patience with one another.

A little more pride in what our flag represents, coupled with the humility and determination to live up to its ideals.

And never forget the men and women who, at the brightest and most promising moments of their lives, chose to serve something greater than themselves. Celebrate them.

To my fellow veterans, to those still standing the watch, and to everyone who supports them:

You are not forgotten.

Your sacrifices are not without meaning.

And your brothers and sisters, past and present, remain beside you.

May we never forget what brought us together.

May we never forget what we’re trying to preserve.

And may we never stop striving to be worthy of those who came before us.

🇺🇸 With respect, gratitude, and brotherhood — Happy Veterans Day from OCG. 🇺🇸