Promotion: A Time for Celebration

A promotion is a significant occasion in the life of a service member. It is a milestone marking their ongoing commitment to service, honoring their accomplishments, and recognizing their potential for future service. It is a time to celebrate their selfless service to our country, their undying dedication to duty, and the many ways they have sacrificed for all of us to stand where we do today.

Promotions are a cause for celebration, not only for service members but for their families. For families, it is a time to celebrate their loved ones. As military teens, we are given the amazing opportunity to attend these ceremonies.

Recently, I attended my father’s promotion ceremony. For me, it was a powerful reminder of the importance of his job and made me admire and respect him even more. Even though it was his day, he chose to focus more on others rather than himself, acknowledging and thanking the people in his life for helping him along the way.

Throughout the ceremony, a strong emphasis was placed on the importance of family: an unwavering unit built on a deep level of love and trust. My father highlighted the contributions our family makes behind the scenes of his service and how it makes all the difference.

This led me to the understanding that one of the most crucial contributions a family can make to their service member’s journey is the provision of a fundamental base of support, through which the service member is motivated and encouraged daily, no matter where they physically are. This support is a source of strength that travels with the service members wherever they go, including places the family cannot follow. Whether in combat zones thousands of miles away from home or behind a desk in the office, they have their family's support ingrained inside their hearts.

During the ceremony, my family and I were given the honor of pinning on my father’s new rank. Afterward, we stood at the front as the guests formed a line to express their congratulations individually.

It was a day characterized by sincere gratitude, warm reunions, honor, and deep respect; a day I will always remember. We should never forget how proud we should be of our parents’ service and the role we play in it.