Giving Thanks

Regardless of service and whether deployed or in garrison, the military does its best on Thanksgiving to pause and give thanks. Observing Thanksgiving in the military is a long standing tradition and certainly a fond memory from my service. I think there is a lot we can learn from how military members give thanks.

Perhaps Thanksgiving observance is important in the military because our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines understand deprivation better than most. Under the best circumstances on Thanksgiving, a service member may find themselves in a garrison environment out of harm’s way yet still far from those they love. Others may be forward deployed, maintaining watch on a ship, in a command post on a remote air base or preparing for a patrol from a forward operating base.

These great Americans chose to give up their family Thanksgiving traditions to protect ours. Most of these service members will pause and briefly give thanks for the smallest things, such as the air in their lungs or their next meal. They understand many of their comrades who have gone before them can no longer enjoy even these simple gifts.

This humble nature of service members makes observing Thanksgiving an important military tradition and also provides a valuable lesson for us to remember. Especially in 2020, we are reminded it truly is the small things we need to be thankful for. Each moment is a blessing.

Of course, when operationally possible, the military celebrates Thanksgiving in style. This usually manifests in the form of a special meal. This can range from extra portions of hot rations for service members in combat to extravagant spreads in a military dining facility. Regardless, consuming the Thanksgiving meal is always the highlight of the service member’s day!

For the dining facility venue, military leaders don their dress uniform and serve meals. Some of my best Thanksgiving memories are serving turkey and dressing to our nation’s best!

Invariably, there would be a few Soldiers coming through the line who would have that unmistakable glisten of a tear welling up in their eye. Most likely it was their first Thanksgiving away from family. An extra helping of prime rib and a kind word would often bring a smile to their face and help them realize they were sharing Thanksgiving with a new family.

Dining facility personnel would spend days preparing for the feast. This included decorating the dining area and designing amazing centerpieces. The picture in this blog is just one example of an amazing centerpiece created by talented military chefs. Just about everything in the military is a competition and Thanksgiving meal preparation was no exception. It was always a treat to see how hard dining facility Soldiers worked to make a memorable Thanksgiving meal and to see the genuine look of thanks from the Soldiers partaking.

On Thanksgiving Day 2020 we should follow the example set by our military. If “operational” conditions permit, celebrate with family in the tradition of your choosing. At some point during the celebration, take a moment and pause to give thanks. Not only for the bountiful plate and good company but also for the commonplace things in life we usually take for granted. This year has shown us every breath is truly a gift. Also, take a moment to give thanks for those great Americans who are out there maintaining the watch.  Happy Thanksgiving!

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