Image credit: Getty Images
November 22, 2018
On Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for America and the opportunity to serve in the Navy Reserve
I lead a double life. Most of the month, I’m a national security expert in Washington, D.C., offering my views on how the United States can compete with China to shape the course of the 21st century. But one weekend each month, I wake up before sunrise, put on a uniform, and fulfill my duty as an officer in the Navy Reserve.
I joined almost four years ago, motivated by a combination of family history and idealism.
My maternal grandparents, German Jews, fled to the United States just before World War II. Without a refuge in America, they would have been annihilated in the Holocaust. None of their descendants had served in the U.S. military. Our debt to America remained unpaid.
I also wanted to have skin in the game. As a civilian working in foreign policy, I could make recommendations for military action without fear of having my own life disrupted or, at worst, cut short. This felt fundamentally unjust.
So I contacted a recruiter, filed an application, endured the poking and prodding of a Navy physician, and signed up for eight years of service.
I’m now halfway through. And despite occasional frustrations, thankful to serve.
What have I learned?
Read the full article in USA Today.
More from CNAS
-
Harnessing Military Talent to Compete in the 21st Century
Commentary
Developments in technology mean that the DoD must update its processes to attract, recruit, and harness talent to apply skill sets where they are most needed....
By Emma Moore
-
If the Military Can't Handle Its Sexual Assault Problem, Congress Needs to Step In
Commentary
Should the DoD continue failing at comprehensively and effectively addressing sexual violence, Congress must intervene more robustly....
By Katie Galgano & Emma Moore
-
What Leaders Can Do Now To Strengthen U.S. Special Operations Forces
Commentary
Improving performance of SOF teams themselves is necessary to fully leverage the attributes and potential of SOF in future missions....
By Lt Col Stewart J. Parker & Emma Moore
-
The All-Volunteer Force: Civil-Military Relations Hit Home—and Abroad
Commentary
Tensions in the civil-military relationship threaten national security from conflicts abroad to cities across the United States....
By Nathalie Grogan
