A Call to Continued Service

February 6, 2015

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey and the Joint Chiefs issued a new call to serve this week in a letter to be distributed to all transitioning service members.

“You have made your mark in uniform and represent the strength of our Nation,” the letter read. “We know you will do the same as veterans, setting the example for the next generation of veterans to follow … It has been our greatest privilege to serve with you, and we look forward with pride to what your future holds. We know it will be extraordinary.”

The call to serve comes as an all-volunteer generation of veterans comes home.  More than one million men and women are expected to transition from the military by 2018, an influx of talents, skills and experiences that does not come without precedence.

Gen. Dempsey’s call to serve echoes that of General Jonathan M. Wainwright’s in a letter written to “All Personnel being Discharged from the Army of the United States” following the end of World War II. Wainwright recognized the unique opportunity for service members to transition from leaders on the battlefield to leaders in the community.

“Start being a leader as soon as you put on your civilian clothes,” Wainwright wrote.  “If you see intolerance and hate, speak out against them.  Make your individual voices heard, not for selfish things, but for honor and decency among men, for the rights of all people.”

Today, a similar opportunity awaits for any veteran eager to once again answer the call to serve. At The Mission Continues, we stand ready to deploy veterans against our communities’ greatest challenges. Veterans are already reporting for duty nationwide as mentors, first responders, teachers, conservationists, and advocates for the underserved.

Learn more on our website about how you can get involved.

Photo Source: The Department of Defense