By: Charles Floyd

Those who serve, who choose to defend the Constitution of the United States, serve in vastly different capacities. The ways of the Army differ greatly from those of the Navy, the Air Force, or the Marines. Whereas all members of the armed forces fall under a uniformed justice system, pay structure, and oath to the nation, that is where the similarities end. Each branch of the military speaks a unique language, has different standards governing everything from wear of the uniform, codes of conduct, to overall mission accomplishment. Upon departure from the military, having the entirety of the nuances that exist within the individual branches lumped into the single term “Veteran” does not capture the uniqueness of each individual’s experience. To earn the title Veteran is a true accomplishment and speaks to the sacrifice every member of the armed forces has made.

On this Veteran’s Day, it is my hope that when a Veteran is thanked for their service, behind that thank you is a desire to learn about their lived experience and gain an understanding of what they did during their time in service. To label a former member of the US Armed Forces with the term “Veteran” is in no way a bad thing; within that single word, however, exists a complex and nuanced world of service and sacrifice that we should attempt to understand through their words. This Veteran’s Day I encourage you to reach out to someone who can tell you their story, give you insight to an experience you haven’t known, and honor why we have “Veterans” to begin with.