Military service is not always about fighting wars. It’s about growing up. Building confidence. Learning self-discipline. It’s about being part of something bigger than yourself.
On Veterans Day, many people take time to thank those who served in the military. But for many veterans, the real thanks goes the other way — they are grateful they had the opportunity to serve their country, to be part of something meaningful, to grow as people, and to contribute to protecting the freedoms we all enjoy.
The military can be (to borrow a phrase) a great place to start. It teaches discipline, provides structure, and allows service members to take on responsibility at an early age. Members learn to follow orders, work as a team, and stay focused on a mission.
And those are lessons that tend to stay with a person, whether you remain in the military or move on to something else. Serving in the military, after all, doesn’t have to be a lifelong career. Most people who join the military, in fact, serve only a few years in uniform, then use what they’ve learned to go to college, start a job, or build a business. The military can provide tools to succeed — not just in combat, but in everyday life.
Serving often also instills a deep sense of patriotism in those who serve; when you see the world, it’s much easier to understand how lucky we are to live in the United States. That’s one reason veterans may be drawn to work at electric cooperatives: Having seen how it works elsewhere, they understand that a high-functioning power grid is fundamentally linked to the nation’s success, and so they often fit right in with other co-op employees who care so deeply about keeping electricity both affordable and reliable.
Military service isn’t for everyone, but for those who choose it, it can be one of the most pivotal chapters of their lives. It’s not always about fighting wars. It’s about growing up. Building confidence. Learning self-discipline. It’s about being part of something bigger than yourself. Veterans often feel their time in the military helped them discover direction and purpose.
I know that’s what it did for me.
So, on Veterans Day, while the country thanks its veterans, many veterans are quietly thankful too: thankful for the chance to serve, thankful for the lessons learned, and thankful for the life-changing impact that came from wearing the uniform.
