Blog Posts tagged with "Horn of Africa"
Our Veterans, Our Defenders of Freedom
Happy Veterans Day to all of those who are serving and who have served!
Maj. Kristi Beckman is the Chief of Social Media for European Command Public Affairs
I am proud to call myself a Veteran. From setting up a base in Kyrgyzstan, evacuating Americans out of Liberia; providing humanitarian aid throughout the Horn of Africa, and even providing aid to the victims of Hurricane Katrina in our own country; I can truly say I’ve done some amazing things and been around some incredible people all fighting for what we believe in and helping those who need it the most.
That’s what it’s all about, right? It’s about love of country, love of people, and love of freedom. It’s about helping those in need and protecting the weak from those who want nothing more than to destroy them.
There are many Veterans today who have given so much, not only for the price of their freedom, but incredibly for the price of others’ freedom. When service members come home to their families missing arms and legs because they’ve been blown up in another country while trying so desperately to bring change and hope to that country, THAT is selflessness.
And THAT is what being a Veteran is all about. Veterans face fear and trudge forward. Veterans give their last breath so others might go on breathing. Veterans fight those who would kill innocent civilians without pause. Veterans protect those who cannot defend themselves. Veterans are the most noble of creatures on this Earth.
On this Veterans Day, take a moment out of your busy day to pause and reflect on these brave men and women. Take a moment to listen to the stories of some of the Veterans who have given so much for so many. Wounded Warrior Diaries
And PLEASE, if you know a Veteran, tell me how that Veteran has touched your life or the lives of others.
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An Extraordinary Dinner in Berlin
In a small wood-paneled ballroom at the glittering Adlon Hotel of Berlin, a parade of speakers celebrated what is called in German “die Mauerfall” --"the fall of the wall." It came in the 60th year of the NATO Alliance, and was hosted by the Atlantic Council.
Comments: 10
Kristi -- Thanks for the post and especially the link to the Wounded Warrior Diaries. The stories told within are truly worth the time spent on the website, especially today, Veterans Day!
A moment of silence was observed for the victims in the Fort Hood shooting at the Veteran's Day ceremony held at Patch Barracks, It's hard to find the 'words' to describe how I felt. Anger, sadness...I just know after the ceremony I got in my car and while driving to the exit I pulled off on a side street to watch the American flags displayed along the roadside blowing in the wind. The symbolism of flag balanced my day.
Gloria, What Ft. Hood is going through is beyond belief. We fight so hard for freedom and then some maniac comes in and takes that very freedom away from us. When I was watching that event unfold on TV, my heart was absolutely shattered. Those are OUR men and women, OUR Veterans, on OUR military soil. How can something like that happen? The family and friends of the victims are in my thoughts and yours as well as so many others. All we can do now is let the authorities handle the investigation and hope for swift justice for these families. Kristi
Pete, Thanks for taking the time to comment! I did read the release about CENTCOM exercising forward. http://bit.ly/2Y0HGw I know you guys are working hard and probably putting in some long hours. Try to take a little time today for yourself if that's possible! :o) Be safe over there and thanks for all you do! Kristi
Kristi, Thank you for the Veteran's Day post. It leaves quite an impact. And thank you for the Wounded Warriors link.
Thanks for the encouraging post Kristi. There is something to be said to being a part of something bigger than oneself. This is a divine calling to every person.
Kristi, Many thanks for the well wishes. As you probably know, a significant number of the staff at CENTCOM are at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. The amenities aren't bad here -- a lot nicer than at As Sayliah. Anyway, thank you for taking the time to recognize veterans, and be safe in all your future journeys! Semper Fi, Pete
Thanks for the comment, Josh. It is a fantastic site that really brings home the courage of our Veterans.
Perfect statement, Russell. "Being a part of something bigger than oneself." That says it all. Thank you!
Jim, Fellow blogger! Happy Veterans Day to you too! Here's to you and all your team in Special Operations Command Europe. Thank you all for what you do! Kristi