sardog1

I raised my right hand, as many of you did, after 9/11. My stint was relatively brief, 5 years and 15 months in combat. Sixteen years later, I'm still working out what that oath actually asked of me. When you're in, the mission gets handed to you. Somebody tells you where to be, what to carry, who's on your left and right. It isn’t easy, but it’s simple. Keep comms working, keep the gun up. Then you get out, and nobody tells you anything. A lot of guys hear that silence and assume the obligation ended with the unit. I understand why, as I too lived some version of it. Over time I've come to believe the oath was something deeper than enlistment. It represents taking on the burden of my country permanently, for better or worse, to honor and protect the civilization for those past and those yet to live. Service after the uniform looks smaller. That's the hard part for many of us. Nobody pins a medal on you for showing up for a brother at 2am, or coaching your kid's team, or keeping your body strong enough to carry someone if it comes to that. It won't make the news and you’re unlikely to receive any praise or recognition for it. I would argue this quiet, unglamorous readiness and steadfastness is immensely more important than anything you did in uniform. None of it feels heroic. Most days, it's phone calls and follow-ups, driving your kids to school and showing up to work. But you need to understand something. Being a veteran doesn’t mean you used to do something. It means you accepted permanent responsibility for the fate of our nation, civilization, and culture. So today, if someone thanks you, take their thank you graciously. Be proud of what you did, and more importantly understand that you’re a leader who’s accepted responsibility and act that way. Find the people and causes that need you and show up for them the way you showed up in uniform. Your service never ends. Happy Veterans Day.