Honor the Service, Dedication and Sacrifices of Military Personnel this May

May 15, 2015

Designated by Congress in 1999, May is National Military Appreciation Month in America. Additionally, this Saturday, May 16, is US Armed Forces Day. These special designations are meant to honor and show gratitude for the service, sacrifice and dedication of US military personnel – Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard servicemembers, those who have served in the past and those who serve today – their families as well as those Americans who have given their lives in defense of our freedoms we all enjoy today. Thank you for your service!

How to show your Appreciation for Military Servicemen and Servicewomen

Some ways to show our appreciation:

1. Display the American Flag at your home or business.

2. Engage the media to highlight military and veterans events.

3. Send a care package to a soldier.

4. Encourage elected officials to recognize our military and veterans.

5. Encourage your employer to hire a veteran.

6. Patronize veteran owned businesses.

These are just several ways to show your gratitude and pride on May 16. Check our upcoming blogs for Memorial Day events and ways to commemorate that important Federal holiday, which honors those men and women who have died in service of our country.

In addition to US Armed Forces Day on the 16th, the month of May was selected because it has the most days available to celebrate and commemorate US military achievements, according to military.com. Other opportunities to show appreciation and honor the Armed Forces are:

• Memorial Day
• Loyalty Day
• Victory in Europe Day
• Military Spouse Appreciation Day

This month is a vitally important time for us all to take the opportunity to honor and remember military servicemembers.

US Armed Forces Day this Saturday

This important part of National Military Appreciation Month was created in 1949 to recognize that all parts of the US military had been unified under the Department of Defense. Instead of recognizing Army, Navy and Air Force Days separately, Americans can honor the sacrifices of all our servicemembers on one day. Armed Forces Day takes place annually on the third Saturday in May.

Armed Forces Day was originally an important way to recognize the unification of the US military forces under one department. Today, that remains an important purpose of this day, but it’s also an important time for civilians to raise their own awareness of the sacrifices of all the men and women within the US Armed Forces and the important work they perform every day. Find your own way to honor and show your gratitude this Saturday, if only by taking a moment to silently honor the memory of Veterans of the past and the brave men and women serving our country today.