Pride, honor for veterans Published Nov. 18, 2011 By Col. Craig A. Osborne 174th Infantry Brigade commander JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- America paused to reflect on the successes and sacrifices of our nation's veterans and their families during recent Veterans Day celebrations across the country. Nearly every major city hosted parades; dignitaries made eloquent speeches; restaurants fed veterans and servicemembers for free. Strangers thanked veterans and servicemembers for their service. While each of us appreciates the many acts of kindness and generosity, there seems to be a growing sense of sympathy for us and our service to the nation. In a recent Washington Post article titled "Troops feel more pity than respect," Greg Jaffe highlighted this sentiment and asserted that many servicemembers believe the American people only feel sorry for us and our families. Instead of expressing respect and pride in the accomplishments of our military, many Americans pessimistically focus on the deployments, sacrifices, suffering and injuries sustained over ten years of war. Unfortunately, many of our fellow citizens are focused on the wrong things. As members of an all-volunteer force, we have chosen to serve the nation in a time of war and the majority of us have deployed overseas in support of our country. Our service isn't always easy and it isn't always comfortable. Some of us have returned with wounds - both seen and invisible - and many of us have lost friends in faraway places. Our families have endured separation and hardship in ways similar to those of the servicemembers they love and support. We have missed countless birthdays, graduations and special events in the lives of our families. We are not victims. Military service is the profession we have consciously and willingly chosen to pursue. It is a noble, worthy and an important calling. We are volunteers and proud members of the most-respected institution in America - outpacing the other 15 American institutions by a wide margin as determined by numerous Gallup Polls. Our service makes a difference to our nation and we must stand proud as professional military men, women and families. Our military has never been better trained and we have sustained the fight in multiple theaters for a decade now. Our veterans and servicemembers return with incredible skills and experiences and have led and excelled in fast-paced, dangerous and ambiguous environments. We have routinely defeated the enemies of our nation wherever we have found them. These are the types of things American people should focus on. Those who know us are proud of what we and our military have accomplished. We must try to remind the American people of those accomplishments. If the American people truly believe and understand these elements of truth, they will encourage their children and friends to someday wear a uniform and serve their fellow citizens. If we want service to be revered in the conscience of our nation, it is both our collective and individual responsibilities to educate our fellow citizens on who we are, what we do and why we do it. Next Veterans Day, we will see more parades, more speeches will be made, more free lunches will be given and even more strangers will thank us for our service. While remaining appreciative of the support American people provide to us, let's ensure that sorrow and sympathy are not the only things felt by our citizens in the future. Let's try to focus them on the historic accomplishments of our military and the incredible men, women and families we serve with to ensure our fellow Americans feel pride and honor when they think of veterans. They deserve those sentiments the most.