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Health & Fitness

Giving Thanks

Giving thanks to those who sacrifice so much for the rest of us

Every year when I visit my in-laws in North Carolina during Thanksgiving there is an article in their local paper where a reporter lists all the things she is thankful for. 

The list normally includes things like her family, her job, her health, etc.  The article always helps put things in perspective and is a nice reminder that Thanksgiving should be more than just an opportunity to eat vast quantities of food and then go buy discounted electronics at 5 a.m. the next day. 

Earlier this week I had an opportunity to witness a ceremony that really brought to the forefront some things that all of us should be thankful for.

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On Tuesday at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, I got to see my college roommate become the CO (Commanding Officer) of HSL 42 (Anti Submarine Helicopter Squadron) http://www.public.navy.mil/airfor/hsl42/Pages/default.aspx

I’m not sure about the other services but in the Navy the transition from one commanding officer to another is a very formal and elaborate event (officially its known as a Change of Command ceremony) that has much pomp and circumstance.   Much of the tradition of this ceremony stretches back hundreds of years http://www.navy.mil/navco/pages/ssp/reference/coc-hist.pdf with much of the tradition passed down from the Royal Navy.    

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Even though I had been through many of these events during my time in the Navy it was the first time I had seen one from the perspective that is gained from 15 years as a civilian who now is married with children.  When you are 22 you think you are invincible and made of iron and you don’t understand why your parents would worry about you.  When you are the parent and your kids are the ones going in harm’s way it is a totally different story. 

As I sat there and watched the hundreds of young men and women (the vast majority of whom are aged 18-25) one of things that came to mind was that some of my children are not too many years from being in that age group.  To be a parent of one of those young people, many of whom were getting ready to deploy overseas, must create conflicting emotions of immense pride in their patriotism but at the same great fear about their safety.

During the ceremony both the outgoing commanding officer and the incoming commanding officer had the opportunity to give speeches where they talked about the accomplishments of the squadron and also their thankfulness to all those who helped them all during their respective careers. 

As I listened to both these speeches I was struck by the common themes I kept hearing in them – devotion to country, devotion to your shipmates (that would be co workers to the rest of us), devotion to family. 

Both of these men are hard driving professionals who would not have achieved this pinnacle of military life (operational command of a front line fighting unit) if not for sacrifices most of us cannot really fathom.  In both speeches these men gave thanks to all those who had helped them. And in both instances they saved thanks to their families for last. 

Both these men are married and have relatively young children (elementary school age).  Each of them specifically addressed their children and wives in the audience from the podium and spoke to them with great emotion about their thankfulness and love that they had for them for all the sacrifices they had made for them in order for them to have reached the achievement of command at sea. 

Again, with the perspective of being married with children I could not help but be impacted in a deeply emotional way by the realization of how much they have sacrificed during all the long separations over nearly two decades of service. 

It is a hard life that these people have chosen but not once during these speeches or during conversations I had with people in the squadron did I detect anything but pride in their service and a dedication to their shipmates and their mission.  I for one was both proud and humbled to be around people who have volunteered to serve the rest of us during a time of war. 

So, during this week of Thanksgiving when you are spending time at home with your family enjoying a nice dinner and hopefully giving thanks for all the blessings we all have been given please keep these men and women in your thoughts and prayers and give thanks for the immense sacrifice they are making for us. 

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