Looking ahead toward Veterans Day, and being interviewed by MFAN about my military service and how things have changed over the last 30 years, got me to thinking about the Whys and Whats of service.
For me, the Why was simple—my whole life I’ve had a vision of being or doing something bigger than myself.
The What was military service—a desire I had long before my high schools days and one that culminated in a 30-year Navy career.
As do so many military and family members, I believe that military service is all about service to others. It is a wonderful, humbling opportunity to give something of ourselves that is bigger than anything we could ever imagine. And in giving and serving, we instinctively know what we have done and will do are bound to have meaning beyond what we will ever likely understand now or in the future.
We serve because of those who served before us.
We serve because of the sacrifices and service of those serving today and tomorrow, knowing we all stand on the shoulders of those who came before, and knowing we too want to make a difference.
What an enormous blessing and experience the military gives to us. It’s a profound experience I wish everyone had an opportunity to know and understand.
Though I’ve taken the uniform off, the privilege and desire to serve are still there and stronger than ever.
Those who know me know service is in my DNA! It is what drives me—it is what defines me.
We all need a vision and a mission.
For me, I’m honored to serve our military and veterans communities professionally through my work at the Project Management Institute—advocating for project-program management professionals and promoting the value of the profession within the U.S. Department of Defense.
Working with so many other great nonprofits and military/veteran service organizations like MFAN, the Military Officers Association of America, and The Military Coalition, groups that work hard to make a difference in the lives of military, veterans, and their families and country, has also been tremendously rewarding and powerful in my professional and personal efforts.
Let me thank each of you for your service this Veterans Day.
Most of all I want you to know how grateful I am for your vision of service, because you inspire me and others to be bigger than ourselves!
