As a 32-year member of the U.S. Coast Guard, I cannot count how many times—in the airport, at a grocery store, at my children’s school, in or out of uniform when showing proof of identification—people have come up to me and said, “Thank you for your service.” For years, I was a bit clumsy in my response, feeling “You’re welcome” was a bit egotistical. Perhaps this was a result of wondering whether the “thanker” really understood what they were thanking me for. They could have been a wartime veteran who fully understood the sacrifices and commitment made by our service members, or they could simply have seen the uniform and felt it was the patriotic thing to do.
Then I picked up a better approach from a fellow service member: “Thank you for your kind words. I will pass your thanks along to my team, my crew, my command.” This always elicited more conversation, as the well-wisher realized their thanks were meaningful to the collective organization and construct of service and not just me.
In recent years, however, particularly after four years of service at one of the East Coast’s larger ports, I have realized “Thank you for your service” is applicable to many more people than just military professionals. As I managed and led multicoalition teams through oil spills, bomb threats, hurricanes, search-and-rescue cases, marine fires, COVID-19, and mass rescue operations, I realized the full gravity of public service and how important it is for our nation.
“Thank you for your service” is a reflection of all that is good in our nation, and it should be said both more frequently and to public servants beyond the armed forces. This is not meant to dilute the sacrifices military service members and their families make, but rather to share the sense of service that makes our country work.
Across federal, state, and local governments and in our communities, public servants work in fields dedicated to making other people’s lives better, safer, and more secure: law enforcement, fire and emergency management, public health and medicine, intelligence and security, education, social work, and so many more. I believe work in service to others is key to revitalizing a country desperately in need of connectedness, gratitude, and respect for the work of others.
There are countless examples of government and civil service workers who have dedicated their lives to doing good for others, being agents of change to make the world better. In my work with fire fighters, law enforcement officers, public health professionals, state, local, and federal agencies, and military colleagues, I was constantly inspired by their example. At an incident command post, late at night, on weekends, in heat and in cold, the common ground among a diverse group of public servants was solidarity and cooperation to save a life, respond to an emergency, ready a port for a hurricane, or just train together and leave the community or organization better than we found it. For four intense years, I saw a goodness I wish more Americans could see, so that “Thank you for your service” could be woven into our national consciousness and conveyed to all those who serve our country.
In addition to simply being aware of the value of today’s public servants, we need to encourage future generations of public servants to work on the wicked problems the world faces. We need to model service for our youth; promote civic mindedness and responsibility; promote government and public service as critical and meaningful career tracks; and even promote or mandate public service after primary school.
Meanwhile, those of us already established in our careers and professions need to continue striving to find common ground, lead, and give back.
Public service can be the foundation for reawakening civic goodness. We need to emphasize the value of public service to our youth and thank those (and their families) who swear oaths of office, put others before themselves, and make our lives better through their actions. As President Theodore Roosevelt said 120 years ago, “Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”1
“Thank you for your service.” Let’s make the words matter.
1. Theodore Roosevelt, Address to the New York State Agricultural Association, Syracuse, NY, 7 September 1903.