Each year, the president signs a proclamation declaring November “Military Family Month.” This month is then designated to spread awareness and appreciation to honor the commitment and sacrifices made by the families of the nation’s service members. However, the true sense of sacrifice seems to be lost throughout the year.

“I think what sets my family apart from other families is the fact that we always have to move. My dad always has to be gone for long periods of time. Right now he’s been gone for about a year. He was gone last year for Christmas and is going to be gone for this Christmas too. He is coming back around January or February. It’s always so different when he’s not here for Holidays. Like with Father’s day; when he is gone we just don’t celebrate it,” said Savannah Miles (’16) when discussing what its like to have family currently in the military. Savannah’s family is just one example of the many that push through the hardships of having active duty family members.

Older generations, however, claim that this present generation (“X-ers”) has lost touch with what it truly means to be an American. This past Veteran’s Day, November 15, 8 US veterans and loved ones were surveyed at an appreciation event at Marysville Foursquare Church. Veterans at this event stated how they did not want to share their story because “It looks and seems that this generation doesn’t appreciate or even care about the sacrifices I’ve made and the wars I’ve been in.”

Although this may be true to a certain extent, there are many in this generation who understand and appreciate the sacrifices of our military personnel. For example, numerous students in Arlington High School alone have enlisted or are seriously interested in enlisting in the United States Military. Eli Senn (’16), for example, is a senior at AHS and has already enlisted into the United States Navy. Eli plans to enter the Navy for the purpose of serving his country.  “There’s nothing I respect more than someone who is willing to sacrifice everything for their country. [. . .]. I think that is completely true. I feel that a lot of kids don’t know what hard work is and they have lost what it means to put others before themselves. Our generation doesn’t realize what these veterans have had to give up and that is the reason they don’t give veterans the respect they deserve. People who have never served or risked everything will never understand what veterans have gone through.”

Jacquelyn Murray (’17) is yet another example of students interested in the military. She is a junior at Arlington High who plans to join the US Air Force and become a fighter pilot. Jacquelyn has already taken steps to make this dream a reality. She has finished ground school at Arlington Flight Services and is now taking flight lessons to get her private flying license. Jacquelyn realizes all the many risks she faces by enlisting into the military, however she continues to progress in her goal of serving in the armed forces. Jacquelyn depicted her thoughts of the challenges she will eventually face by enlisting into the military with plans of having a family of her own in the following statements: “Spending time with them [her family] in general would be the greatest challenge. When you’re on duty, you can be stationed anywhere. My older sister was telling me recently how her and her husband couldn’t get married for several years because he was stationed in Afghanistan.”

Navy veteran and teacher at Arlington High School Mr. Mike Gudgeon said, “I think there are two different types of veterans out there. There is the veteran in service to change their life and define their life, and those of us who has served and what happened during our service has changed our lives. It’s a part of what makes us, but not the entirety of what makes us. Honoring veterans is very important because they have sacrificed a lot for our country. Saying thank you in a respectful way is always a way to do it. I became a teacher because of my experiences in the service. Because of that, the greatest respect to me is for everyone to go out and make a difference in the world.”