Veterans...Our daily lives are different. The one thing I know for certain is that our service does not end at the end of our enlistment. I’ve never been prouder than to stand shoulder to shoulder with a wave of veterans showing up to help our allies abroad. Military service members have a scope and perspective that few Americans will ever know. We experience long deployments, away from home and loved ones. We deal with life and death decisions, stressful and dangerous environments, and yes, the loss of life of the those that we love above all else. Though we may not face these every day, we know it could come in an instant.
And who do we share this with? Our brothers in arms, the man next to us. “Leave no man behind”, it is an ethos that has been ingrained in us from our first day. We are part of an institution, a culture. Our bond is strong because of our shared suffering. The concern for our brother next to us outweighs the concern for ourselves. Regardless of where we end up in life, this bond is never broken. It is a duty to each other and to ourselves to uphold this ethos. The men and women that were on the ground at Hamid Karzai International Airport nearing the last two weeks of the withdrawal from Afghanistan saw indescribable horrors. They were the bravest men and women of our generation. They faced certain death and fought every sleepless moment to save as many lives as they could. The politicians and policymakers that we are to blame for this strategic failure should be held accountable.
8 мар 2023
