Show your support for our armed forces
May is designated National Military Appreciation Month by the US Congress to provide a grateful nation the opportunity to publicly demonstrate appropriate appreciation for the service and sacrifice made by our military members and their families.
Military Appreciation Month this year includes observances of Loyalty Day (Sunday), Military Spouse Appreciation Day (Friday), Victory in Europe Day (May 8), Children of Fallen Patriots Day (May 13), Armed Forces Day (May 21) and Memorial Day (May 30).
Loyalty Day begins military appreciation month by reaffirming our national loyalty and reflecting on our constitutional freedoms.
Military members, upon entering service, take a sworn oath to support, defend and bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution because we are one nation under the Constitution and it is the Constitution in which we must trust.
It is historically significant we were the first nation established independently by and for “We the People” (Constitution Preamble) with no reference to other authority (emperor, monarch, dictator, deity, religion, scripture, etc).
Military Spouse Appreciation Day is the Friday before Mother's Day and honors military spouses by recognizing their contributions, support and sacrifices as well as the role of military families in keeping our military strong and ready.
Victory in Europe Day, or V-E Day, celebrates the day in 1945, when Germany unconditionally surrendered to the Allies marking the end of World War II, Nazi fascism and the Holocaust in Europe.
Children of Fallen Patriots Day remembers and acknowledges the children left behind by our fallen military members and the suffering and struggle they have to endure because of the death of their parents.
Armed Forces Day traditionally concludes Armed Forces Week and recognizes the men and women serving in the active, reserve and national guard components of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard and Space Force. It is a special day of appreciation for those serving, their families and the communities supporting them. It is also a reminder of the military's importance and the critical role it plays in our independence, security and democracy. There are more than 1.3 million active duty members and 1.02 million reserve or guard members. Approximately 173,000 are deployed worldwide in 150 foreign countries. These are the military men and women currently serving in their uniform.
Memorial Day is our national holiday for remembering the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in the military service of this country to preserve the freedoms we have as Americans. It memorializes our patriotic military members who gave their lives defending this country.
The National Moment of Remembrance Act requests that we pause at 3pm for one minute as an act of national unity to remember our fallen military heroes. 1,354,644+ have perished fighting for this country and 40,031+ remain missing in action. These are the military men and women who never made it out of their uniform.
It is important to note military members are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to insure military readiness and protect our military during the pandemic. This requirement originated when Gen. George Washington ordered the Continental Army to be vaccinated against smallpox in 1777.
96%+ of the active military have been vaccinated preventing this infectious disease from spreading, infecting and harming the military community. The vaccinated are to be saluted for their allegiance, compliance and patriotism.
It is also important to remember that Veterans Day is our national holiday every Nov. 11 commemorating the World War I armistice (declared at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918). It honors those patriotic men and women, living or deceased, who served our country honorably in the military during war or peacetime for any length of service and are no longer serving.
There are 18.8 million veterans living in the United States with 1.6 million residing in Texas. These are the military men and women who have hung up their uniform.
Kudos to Texas Tech Health Sciences Center and McMurry and Abilene Christian universities for their support of the military and national recognition as “Military Friendly Schools” (MilitaryFriendly.com).
As loyal and patriotic Americans, we extend genuine gratitude to all military members and their families serving this country, especially those assigned to our area's Dyess Air Force Base.
John Compere is a retired Army brigadier general, disabled veteran and West Texas rancher.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Show your support for our armed forces
