Honoring the Service of All Published Nov. 10, 2020 By Lt. Gen. Shaun Q. Morris, AFLCMC Commander As we pause to reflect this Veterans Day, it is important to spend a few minutes on why we have this day. President Wilson first referred to Nov 11, 1919 as Armistice Day in a message to the American people honoring the end of World War I the previous year. The tradition of celebrating that day continued for 20 years before it was made an official holiday in 1938. After World War II, there was a call to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans. The bill changing the name to Veterans Day was passed in 1954 and signed by President Eisenhower. Beyond the change in name, the day became a time to remember the service of all. I think that is significant. Veterans Day honors the service of all U.S. military veterans. Our second core value, Service Before Self, expounds on the fundamental relationship between being in the military and being of service. There was a time when it was common to say someone was “in the service” because they are one and the same. To be an Airman is to serve. Speaking about our second core value, Gen. John Jumper, 17th CSAF said, “Service before self is that virtue within us all which elevates the human spirit, compels us to reach beyond our meager selves to attach our spirit to something bigger than we are.” Each of us who have worn the uniform took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. It meant we were willing to make personal sacrifices, to be dedicated to our duties, to be available to respond anytime and go anywhere and to lay down our lives, if necessary. In becoming Airmen, we became part of the larger cause to preserve what it is to be an American and to ensure that spirit endures. That level of service to your fellow human warrants celebration. This Veterans Day, let us all remember what “Service Before Self” truly means and celebrate those who served so that we can all be free.