Home of the Brave

Since Veteran’s Day was last week, I started thinking about the military and what a great service they do. We are so blessed as a country to have the freedoms we enjoy. We live our lives – mostly – in peace. We go to bed at night, wake up the next day, send the kids out the door, head out to the office and go about our business. We don’t think much about our safety, our borders, our country. It’s just expected. You know, we Americans in general are a little spoiled. And I like that. I like knowing that I don’t have to worry about bombings in my city. And I’ve never had to worry about someone strapping themselves with dynamite and driving into the restaurant I’m sitting in. It’s a good feeling, and one that most of us take for granted.

So for today, I am not going to take it for granted. I’m going to look around the town and appreciate it all – if only for today, I hope you’ll do the same. Think about the stories we hear on the news. Look at what’s happening in Iraq and Afghanistan. And know for today that someone is looking out for you. Someone is wearing armor and helping to keep terror from our shores. Soldiers and airmen are fighting and willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to keep us free.

I am so proud of Shaw Air Force Base, and the men and women who serve there. I have known some incredible individuals who have come through Shaw. And there are plenty more who will serve there in the future. We talk about the economic impact Shaw brings to our community, and that is important. Their fiscal impact is real. They buy homes, cars, groceries in our community. They send their children to school here and they pay taxes too. But the real impact is their service. Their service to us, our community, our country. They keep us safe.

And soon, we’ll have the Third Army here as well. We’ve already started welcoming some of their members to our community, and we are looking forward to meeting more over the next two to three years. We’ve always had a great relationship with our Air Force neighbors and I’m sure we’ll make the Army feel just as welcome. It’s the least we can do.

Also, I can’t write a blog like this without mentioning our very own General. We have been so blessed to have retired Gen. Tom Olsen as the chairman of our Tuomey Foundation board since it began in 1995. He was a true American hero and leader in Desert Storm. And he’s absolutely committed to the Sumter community and Tuomey today.

So, if only for today, remember how lucky we are to live, work and play in this great country. God Bless America!

“This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.” ~Elmer Davis