Thank you for your Service

Tomorrow is Veteran's Day. In some organizations it is a recognized holiday, a day off for staff to recognize the men and woman who served in the military. For some, it’s business as usual. For me, it will be a day to reflect on the Service Members that I have had the privilege to know in my lifetime.

I moved from RI to San Diego in 2014 to work for the Marine Corps Community Services, at the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) in Miramar.

I did not have experience working with Service Members, nor know anyone personally who served, but I did know how to treat substance use disorders. With that as my foundation, it took the men and women of the USMC and the Navy to teach me the rest.

I quickly learned to speak acronym.

I then learned about boot camp and the Crucible, and that I would have never successfully completed either.

I learned how dreams of being deployed sometimes don’t come true, and if they do, how it can irrevocably change who you are.

Then I began working in support of the USMC and Navy Reserve component.

That’s where I learned the USMC was actually a part of the Navy.

I learned about rank, and structure, and Chain of Command, and the beauty of traditions.

I learned how hard it is to have a foot in both doors of being a Reservist and a Civilian, how Reservists are uniquely challenged to be both.

And I learned about honor. I watched the Leaders, these high ranking individuals, give tirelessly to the mission of ensuring every Marine and Sailor’s mental health was stable and strong. They were absolutely dedicated to supporting the people they were responsible for, and knew each person by name. Their care was individual and personal to each Marine and Sailor. And they were unnecessarily kind and generous to me.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it is my chance to formally thank these men and woman for their service. I know what you’ve sacrificed, what you’ve witnessed, and what you have contributed to our individual and collective lives. I was truly honored to be in your presence, be allowed to sit at your tables, watch you get promoted, watch you retire, watch you leave what was familiar, be included in your drills and offices, be included when your men and women needed help. I can’t thank you enough, and I sit surrounded by the tokens of my time with you as reminders of how proud I am to have worked alongside you.

SgtMaj A.

MGySgt R.

Captain C.

GySgt G.

GySgt C.

GySgt L.

Major L.

Captain Z.

LtCol P.

Also-HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS!!!!

Big smiles,

Elisha