WASHINGTON - This Veterans Day, as we honor the sacrifices made by those who serve, let us also recommit ourselves to preserving the legacy our Guard members have helped safeguard for nearly four centuries -- freedom for all Americans.
Their service has also produced an operational force of nearly 450,000 Citizen-Soldiers and -Airmen equally adept at fighting an enemy overseas or a natural disaster at home. This legacy includes supporting nearly 780,000 overseas deployments since 9/11. Despite the known dangers, nearly every Soldier and Airman in today’s National Guard either joined or recommitted since 9/11. Nearly 50 percent are combat veterans.
As your Chief, I have met with Guardsmen and women serving overseas and in our 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia. I have seen Guard members honing their combat skills at places such as the National Training Center and the Joint Readiness Training Center. Our Guardsmen and women are also on the ground in Afghanistan, Kuwait, Kosovo, Qatar, Djibouti and the Sinai providing global security and refining their dual-mission skills working with multinational counterparts.
On the home front, the National Guard has established a legacy of saving lives, protecting property and helping restore critical services after natural and manmade disasters. In fiscal year 2015 alone, Guard members were called upon more than 280 times to help their neighbors recover from hurricanes, floods and wildfires, logging over 547,100 man-days responding to homeland emergencies.
Nobody ever fights alone. I am deeply grateful for the overwhelming support our Guard families, employers, Americans and foreign partners provide each day to allow us to succeed. Their encouragement inspires our veterans and strengthens them during deployments when they are unable to see the parades, the fanfare and celebrations. This is their legacy and all service members are thankful for it!
This Veterans Day, as we reflect on the legacies left to us by Citizen-Soldiers and -Airmen, lets pay tribute to them by preserving the proven, reliable and cost-effective force our nation and communities have counted on for nearly four centuries.