It's Veteran's Day.
My dad was in the Navy and served in Vietnam. When I was growing up, we didn't really talk about his service. He wasn't on the ground like Apocalypse Now, but his job was still quite difficult: he was the navigator in planes that flew over villages to make sure that everyone was dead after the bombers when through.
It was hard work, but it was the job.
War is not parades and flags, it's physically and emotionally grueling. Life isn't the only thing people are willing to sacrifice when they embark on the journey of military service. The lifelong emotional and physical effects are well documented.
Recently, I listened to the book, Extreme Ownership, which talks about the experience of a team of Navy Seals fighting in the Iraq War, and how we might draw leadership lessons from the tactically and strategically complicated challenges of the fighting zones. But really, business isn't war. War is war. No one is jumping out of a doorway on my way to the workshop to kill me. I'll hopefully never know what that's like, and parallels seem like an absurdly shallow stretch.
I know several Veterans personally now, and service is more than just a job, it's a part of their identity.
We appreciate the commitment and selflessness it takes to enlist for military service. On this day, we honor our Veterans by offering our sincere gratitude for everything you have done, and everything you have missed, because of your service to our country.
It seems a small token, but we're offering a military, first responder, and teacher discount to all active and retired military.
Please click here to verify your service and get your personal discount code.
