Since the Civil War, America has honored her fallen soldiers annually and since 1971 as a national holiday. As Memorial Day 2022 approaches, we prepare again to honor our soldiers lost to war. We must also think about the serious challenges facing our military.
Our military is among the greatest institutions in human history. Its men and women are willing to commit their very lives for others. They are superbly trained, smart and physically superior souls. It is the highest calling, that of putting one's life on the line for an enduring human principle and the central tenet of the American psyche: FREEDOM.
We view our soldiers’ lost lives as the true cost of having the world’s greatest military. We invest more than any other country in soldier safety and lethality and in ways to limit collateral damage. For all that bloodshed and treasure, the consequent value is beyond calculation: the preservation of America’s heart and soul.
This Memorial Day finds our all-voluntary military still the strongest in the world, but we are being challenged at home and abroad. Compounding this situation, our military suffered an uncharacteristically disastrous humiliation on the world stage in the withdrawal from Afghanistan caused by feckless administrative leadership. Our nation needlessly lost 13 soldiers in the Afghan withdrawal and global respect in the process.
Looking forward, the global environment for armed conflict is volatile. These are just some of the forces potentially affecting our troops:
- Ukraine’s courageous defense of their country has been a shot in the arm for the free world and for the U.S. as the leader of the free world. It has reinforced the global respect for defensive might, perhaps above all else. It also hearkens back to our brave soldiers and American resolve in prior wars.
The Ukrainians' courage provides us added inspiration, a reminder of the globally impactful role of our soldiers in the past. In particular, our role in WWII is seen in great novels, movies and family stories and is a central reason the U.S. is highly respected today. Of all the world’s military cultures, we are the most altruistic. We can’t lose track of that. - Countering that is an all-out attack at home on our American history and a weakening of our patriotic will. This needs to be bravely and actively defended. We must address flagging confidence in U.S. institutions and each other, including our military, whose senior officers and Department of Defense bureaucrats are promulgating woke ideologies through the ranks.
- Technology is changing the battlefield of combat for our
soldiers, resulting in less causalities but greater mental challenges. A futuristic context of war as an extension of our new Space Force relies on drones, robotics, AI technology, bio-weapons, space combat, real-time intelligence, a gaming interface and psychological warfare.
Can we adapt American spirit and heroism as investments shift away from traditional warfare towards advanced technologies? Can we retain a high level of mutual trust between our citizens and the military? Can we maintain our commitment to lead the way in global freedom and avoid pure self-interest as with Russia and China?
Even if somewhat diminished, surveys say the U.S. patriotic spirit remains alive in the American people, the raw material of its soldiers. This Memorial Day as we honor our fallen heroes, let us be keenly aware that citizens must actively engage in addressing these new and threatening forces of change.
We can’t let our government and the political elite continue to diminish our love for America and our troops, nor our military effectiveness and alignment with our values. Let’s recommit our resolve to support our military, then do it again next Memorial Day 2023.
Uncertainty around our future military posture is one of several issues begging for citizens across our nation to gain active engagement and accountability from their federal government.
We know based on years of research and grassroots development that the single best way to accomplish this is through an Article V Convention of States. In fact, it may be the only practical way to gain control of government overreach and misalignment with the people.
The good news is that we’re more than halfway there. Currently, 19 of 34 state legislatures needed have passed the Convention of States resolution, and the country as a whole is becoming increasingly aware of the need for some way to reassert control of the bloated and festering federal government bureaucracy.
Join the Convention of States movement by signing the petition and join our grassroots volunteer army in Maryland to help achieve these goals. Then share it with a friend.
