Tribute to the Troops (May 2011)

On Memorial Day, we are asking our fellow citizens to honor the sacrifice of our fallen heroes by taking action to support our military families and veterans. As the force behind the force, military families support and sustain our troops, care for our wounded warriors and survive our fallen.  

Throughout this decade at war, Dover Air Force Base has been home to a solemn, somber journey, one seared by emotions that are always new, always raw — the return of our fallen warriors.

Since I assumed my duties as the 37th chief of staff of the Army, I have gone about trying to get a feel for where we are as an Army in order to help organize my thoughts on where we need to go in the future.

Every day I am inspired by the sailors who are the world’s greatest Navy. I think about their sacrifice, their dedication and their service to the United States. American sailors do their job day in and day out. They do so without asking for anything in return. Their commitment is so constant as to be rarely remarked upon, yet it is remarkable.

Each day, many of us who reside or work in our nation’s capital walk by the many memorials honoring our fallen soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen. Memorial Day is the time to stop, read their names and thank them for their service. We must never forget that freedom is not free, but is only made possible by the thousands of patriots who stood the watch and selflessly made the greatest of earthly sacrifices to protect our homeland.

On a typically beautiful Southern California day in March of this year, First Lieutenant Cameron West of 3rd Platoon, Company I, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment rolled his wheelchair up to the podium in front of a crowd gathered for his battalion’s family readiness meeting.

The tone of the ceremony was solemn, with accounts of valor that were at once awe-inspiring and humbling. 

It’s hard to believe another Memorial Day is here.