The Quiet Veterans ....

When we think of Veterans and Veteran's day we think of combat.  And that is good.  Combat is what the armed services are all about.  The front line forces are the tip of the spear that protects us all. But, I would ask you to a moment to give silent thanks to the rest of the veterans .....

• To the young people who will step on board an obsolete ship or airplane desperately needing
  
  maintenance and refits that the current administration will not fund and still do their best to do their job anyway with the full knowledge they are taking their lives in their hands on what should be routine missions.
• The the brave men of the amphibs who routinely do things with ships, small craft and vehicles that would scare any sane person to death and drive a civilian safety expert insane.
• To the men and women sitting in dark, heavily guarded rooms watching flickering screens and streaming data, knowing full well they are literally holding the fate of
  
  the world in their hands and aging their hearts and arteries decades for every month they continue to serve.
• To the sailors who walk out on to the deck in bad weather and risk their lives to keep the ship safe and on its way its next assignment.
• To the airmen who dance the deadly ballet of the flight line among whirling propellers that will instantly turn a person into a bloody pulp all over the surrounding surfaces and jet intakes that will literally suck a man in and turn him into something no longer recognizable as human.
  
• To the MP's, SP's, CID, NCIS, and other "special" agency people who quietly serve as the cops in a society constantly trained to professionally apply violence. 

And all of the others who never see combat but risk their lives and health daily to serve you.  God bless kids.