To the Soldiers, Airmen, and Families of the National Guard
There
are as many ways to celebrate Thanksgiving as there are Americans
celebrating it. No matter what’s on the table—turkey or tofu, mashed
potatoes or candied yams, your aunt’s famous mac and cheese or your
cousin’s famous tamales—the heart of the celebration remains the same:
We reflect on all we have, all we have done, and all we hope for each
other. For one day, we are united in gratitude for the blessings in our
lives.
However,
many of us know what it’s like to spend Thanksgiving far from the
family table. Whether we’re deployed overseas eating off a tray with
plastic forks, working frontline jobs that never take a holiday, or are
simply separated from the people we care about most by an insurmountable
distance, our thanks are mixed with a longing for home.
That’s
why it’s no coincidence that November is National Veterans and Military
Families Month—because above all, we are thankful for our freedom and
for the people in our lives. Military families are unique. We have
tested love’s ability to endure distance, time, and trauma. We have
blended romance and resilience, involvement and absence, constant change
and undying devotion. And we have seen the power of the family we
choose—brothers and sisters not bound by blood, but by a connection and
commitment that grows stronger with each year.
We
give thanks for our military families—our spouses, children, parents,
siblings, grandparents, extended family, and the friends we hold
closest. We say a prayer for the surviving families of the fallen, and
rededicate ourselves to ensuring they always feel welcome in our family
of arms. We reach out to those who are celebrating Thanksgiving a town,
a time zone, or a continent away from the ones they love. No matter
who, where, or how you celebrate, together we have many reasons to give
thanks.
Thank
you for serving our National Guard, and thank you to the families who
love and support us. We wish you a safe and happy Thanksgiving. We are
honored and thankful to be “Always Ready, Always There.”
Sincerely,
Daniel R. Hokanson
General, U.S. Army
Chief, National Guard Bureau
Tony L. Whitehead
SEA, U.S. Air Force
National Guard Bureau
