Each military member has a tale of service. On Veterans Day, ask one about it.
The men and women in uniform and those who served before them will continue to be essential. While this year has expanded our community’s definition of essential workers, it’s imperative that we continue to show appreciation for those who served our local community and for those who served our nation.
This Veterans Day provides an opportunity to understand why those who choose to serve our nation did so and to learn what drove them to answer the call of duty. Each service member has a unique motivation to serve, and each veteran has a unique view on what his or her service means. On Wednesday, take the time to listen to these individuals and provide them with an opportunity to share their story.
Aayush Kharel is an 18-year-old with a lot on his plate. He’s a full-time student at the University of Texas at Arlington, a cashier at an Exxon and a part-time member of his university’s ROTC program. In a few months, he will add another role: A/C power mechanic in the U.S. Army.
On Jan. 25, Kharel will depart for U.S. Army Basic Combat Training in Fort Jackson, S.C., to begin the intense nine-week course that will transform him from a civilian to a soldier and prepare him for his new career in the U.S. Army Reserves.
Education benefits such as tuition assistance, student-loan repayment and a hefty signing bonus heavily influenced his choice to join, but the main reason for Kharel’s enlistment: the opportunity to serve his country by joining the 1% of Americans who chose to enter the military. The Saginaw High School graduate, who is Nepalese American, takes pride in knowing he will be an integral member of a team dedicated to serving and protecting all Americans.
“To me, military service is about ensuring American citizens can sleep safe at night knowing they are protected,” Kharel said.
The United States’ shift to an all-volunteer force in 1973 drastically changed the reasons men and women decide to join the military. For previous generations, enlisting was not a choice but a requirement.
Robert Williams, a 74-year-old veteran, served in the Air Force from 1968 to 1988 and retired as a major. The Mansfield native now serves as treasurer of the Fort Worth chapter of the Military Order of the World Wars and works to promote and advance patriotic education.
For Williams, the concept of service has changed over the decades after his retirement.
“There is a difference in serving and being of service,” he said. “A waiter serves a customer, a politician serves a term in office, but when being of service you serve a mission greater than yourself and you sacrifice what is necessary to accomplish that mission.”
When I asked Williams what he would like to tell a young man or woman who is unsure about joining the military, he simply said: “Serving is worthwhile.”
The men and women in uniform and those who once wore it do not have a monopoly on national service. Their duty must not be viewed in isolation but rather through the scope of a lifetime. Veterans continue to wear the visible and invisible scars of their sacrifices when they take off their uniform. It is important that communities continue to engage in conversations to understand the sacrifices each veteran has made.
This Veterans Day, take the time to reach out to a family member, a friend or even a distant acquaintance who served and seek to understand the depth of their sacrifice.
“Thank you for your service” is not where the interaction should end. It’s where the conversation should begin.
This story was originally published November 11, 2020 at 7:03 AM with the headline "Each military member has a tale of service. On Veterans Day, ask one about it.."