There is something about flying an Apache helicopter at 1,000 feet over hostile terrain that helps you understand America clearly.
I remember my first combat mission in Afghanistan, providing aerial security so ground troops who had come under heavy fire could get some rest.
I never wondered whether the troops I protected were Republicans or Democrats. I never cared whether their race, religion or background differed from mine.
They were my brothers and sisters, and fellow Americans. And we all took the same oath to the same Constitution.
You understand in those moments that America is greater than our differences or disagreements — a crucial lesson after a contentious election cycle. Being an American is about our shared experiences, the values connecting us and our commitment to basic founding principles like freedom, equality and justice.
This Veterans Day, we should all honor the men and women who sacrificed selflessly to preserve our freedom and principles. We should also remember that we can all wear and defend our values, even if we do not all wear uniforms.
I first learned that lesson from my mother, an immigrant and single parent. We lived in a low-income area of Queens, N.Y., often struggling to keep a roof over our heads. I could not have imagined I would one day earn an appointment to West Point — it was easier for me to believe I would end up in prison.
As I watched my mother study for her citizenship test, I saw how much being an American meant to her. She helped me understand the rights we enjoyed as Americans, even for people with our circumstances. And those rights were worth protecting and defending.
Mom never wore the uniform, but she wore and lived the values.
I was fortunate to learn about our principles, rights and responsibilities as Americans alongside my mother and mentors, like my JROTC instructors. I carried these lessons from Queens to West Point to the sky above Afghanistan.
All young people today should have the same opportunities to learn about our country and our founding principles.
At the Bill of Rights Institute, we provide civic education resources and programs that teach America’s founding principles and cultivate good citizenship skills. We work with more than 77,000 civics and history teachers who reach 7.7 million students annually.
The civic education crisis in our country is acute. Civics is mainly ignored in elementary grades and is often treated as an afterthought in middle school and high school.
Is it any wonder young people today feel less positively about America than previous generations?
America’s civics teachers and students need support, and we need more people speaking up for civic education within their local school districts.
Veterans and military community members can help lead a civic education revival in our country. Offer to speak to your local schools about your service and why supporting and defending our Constitution is essential.
There is plenty of work for everyone. Talk to the young people in your life about what being an American means to you and how you identify with our nation’s founding principles. Look for opportunities to engage with your community to advance our shared principles.
We all have a responsibility to support and defend the Constitution, whether we have taken an oath or not. I may no longer wear the uniform, but I promise it is still possible to wear the values.
