Now more than ever, those who serve in the military deserve the nation's thanks. They are the ones who volunteered to serve while the majority of their fellow Americans did not. And the number of far-flung commitments this nation has made in recent decades, for which they have had to answer the call, is overwhelming.
Even those current service members and veterans who served in relative peace in the States, or in bases far removed from war zones, gave their time and effort to this country. Millions, meanwhile focused on their careers or their interests and, except on Veterans Day or Memorial Day, may not give those in uniform more than a passing thought.
This may be only a reflection of human nature, but it is probably true. However, that wasn't always the case in the United States. We didn't always leave so much of the burden of service to as narrow a segment of the population. The idea of serving the country was more widespread in our past and a common topic in families up and down the economic spectrum.
Without any form of military draft, which today should, in fairness, include women, we are placing far too heavy a burden on those who enter the military because their economic prospects are otherwise bleak. They are not headed for college, not from well-off families, and often they are members of minority groups.
Yet these people, who make up such a large swath of the military, are, in a way, the fortunate ones. They will learn the lessons
In truth, we should ask more of the entire country, not just in terms of the military. That sacrifice would likely be more a blessing than a curse for millions of American youth, and for our beleaguered nation as well.
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