November 11th is a solemn day in many countries around the world, recognizing the end of World War One and the service of veterans who have served in their nations’ armed forces. In the United States, it is Veterans Day and a national federal holiday. In New Zealand, France, Belgium and Serbia, it is Armistice Day. In the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, it is Remembrance Day. And in Poland, it is National Independence Day.
The day gives us a chance to pause and reflect on the sacrifices our fellow citizens have made and continue to make in defense of our national interest and, in many cases, our very existence. It gives many of us an opportunity to think about our friends, relatives, and ancestors who have served their country, have gone to war, and have made the ultimate sacrifice (Editor’s note: I am proud and grateful to have many family members and friends who have served our country and gone to war, and have returned safely).
We have this luxury — to pause, sit, and reflect — because of the battles and wars fought and the lives laid down and cut far too short. I wish this weren’t necessary. I wish that humanity could peacefully coexist — that war, “a continuation of politics by other means” (Carl von Clausewitz, On War), would have been long relegated to the trash heap of history as a barbaric way to settle disputes or achieve power and wealth. But it is not so. Rough men (and women) still must “stand ready in the night to visit violence upon those who would harm us” (Richard Grenier).
One tangible way to honor those who have donned a uniform and stood watch on our behalf is to invite them to continue their service on our teams. In the post-9/11 world, veterans make up a significant percentage of the workforce here in the U.S.; and due to the high-tech nature of the modern military, their knowledge, skills, and abilities are often widely transferable to civilian life. Veteran employment campaigns and organizations abound, and work to provide veterans separating from the military and or injured or disabled during combat, with the resources to begin their second careers.
In the supply management industry (and the business world at large), I cannot tell you how many men and women I have met over the years who have served or continue to serve in the military. Their professionalism, humility, leadership, vision, resourcefulness, let alone their skills, make them unique and valuable assets on any team. I am a better person for knowing them.
Ardent Partners was fortunate to have several veterans speak at CPO Rising 2018 in Boston last week, including graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, and veterans of recent/ongoing conflicts. Their presence on the main stage in the Harvard Club’s Grand Ballroom/Hall is living proof that service for veterans continues long after they put down the uniform. They are leaders in their industries and in their communities, and we are all better off for knowing them.
Today, many of us observe Veterans Day (or Remembrance Day, or Armistice Day). I implore to you honor the memories and legacies of our citizen-soldiers not just by thanking them for their service, but by asking them to continue serving on the home front. Never forget.
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