Ripon Forum


Vol. 56, No. 5

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In this edition

With Veterans Day once again upon us, we are publishing our 4th Annual Special Edition of The Ripon Forum to commemorate the holiday.  This year’s edition features personal essays written by four members of Congress who also served in uniform and were asked to answer a simple question – “What does Veterans Day mean to […]

Protecting the Women Who Protect Us

Women currently represent 18% of the Armed Forces and make up the largest growing population of veterans. However, they are facing significant challenges while serving. 

The Potential of the G.I. Bill and the Need to Combat Fraud in the Program

We owe it to all veterans to deliver on America’s promise with an education befitting of veterans’ selfless service to our nation. The time to expect more for the G.I. Bill is now. 

How America Turned the Tide on Veteran Homelessness

Honoring our veterans means ensuring that every person who has served in the military can live a safe and secure life after they’ve completed their service.  And the single most important thing that every veteran needs is a safe and affordable place to live.  

“I Think First and Foremost of Those I Served Alongside.”

On Veterans Day each year, I think first and foremost of those I served alongside in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and those who made the ultimate sacrifice.  It was an incredible honor and opportunity to serve our country as the U.S. worked to counter the threat of terrorism around the world. 

“The Selflessness of Veterans Serves as an Inspiration for All Americans.”

Veterans Day is a chance for our Nation to reset – to pause and honor those who served and recognize their sacrifices to ensure the freedom and safety of others. 

“Our Men and Women in Uniform have Devoted their Lives to Preserving the Freedoms Our Constitution Affords Us.”

Veterans Day is more than another federal holiday. It provides everyone in our nation — both servicemembers and civilians — an opportunity to honor those who have dedicated their lives to protecting our freedoms. 

“We have an Obligation to Serve Those Who Served and Sacrificed For Us.”

We have an obligation to serve those who served and sacrificed for us. And in such divided times, it is more important than ever to set aside political partisanship and put our veterans and servicemembers first.  

Every American Should Serve for a Year

It’s time to rethink the path to success for our nation’s youth and rebuild trust along the way by prioritizing opportunities that bring people from different backgrounds together through a shared goal and common purpose. 

The False Promise of Universal National Service

It is magical thinking that the state can round up 18-year-olds, march them, like Mao’s Red Guards, across America, and turn them into moral, caring, selfless adults committed to national unity and other liberal verities.  

“The Selflessness of Veterans Serves as an Inspiration for All Americans.”

Veterans Day is a chance for our Nation to reset – to pause and honor those who served and recognize their sacrifices to ensure the freedom and safety of others. 

In John Chapter 15, verse 13, Jesus tells us: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” It is humbling to know that roughly 19 million veterans living in the United States today, and the countless others who have come before, not only have this love but are willing to act on it. 

Our nation makes a promise to the men and women who raise their hands to be steadfast in their commitment to our country. When these people put their lives on the line for you and me, they should know we will take care of them when they return. As a former fighter pilot who served for 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, I have come to know many incredible service members and veterans, and the people who support them. Our warfighters are heroes to this country.  

We must do better for our veterans — both in preparing them for combat and when they return from their finished missions. Unfortunately, pilots and aircrew have been found to have a higher risk of contracting various forms of cancer. I am proud that my bill, the ACES Act, which directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to study cancer incidence and mortality rates among military aviators and aircrew, was included in the House version of the defense bill (FY23 NDAA).  

“We must do better for our veterans — both in preparing them for combat and when they return from their finished missions.” 

As a former fighter pilot, I know first-hand the risks that airmen take every day when they step into the cockpit. These heroes knowingly put their lives on the line for their country. This legislation protects our service members and ensures they are provided the healthcare benefits they earned. 

I am also supporting legislation like the Major Richard Star Act, which would ensure roughly 42,000 combat-disabled service retirees can concurrently receive veterans’ disability compensation and retired pay or combat-related special compensation. Legislation like this and the Captain James C. Edge Gold Star Spouse Equity Act, which ensures surviving spouses of service members receive the benefits their late spouse earned, are basic provisions we can and should guarantee. 

The selflessness of veterans serves as an inspiration for all Americans. To our heroic veterans: your valiance is not forgotten, and your sacrifices are valued. Because of you and your bravery, my wife and I can raise our daughters in a country that is safe and secure, and full of countless possibilities and boundless opportunities. 

I am praying, and I am believing, that through moments like Veterans Day when we are thankful for our blessings and united in patriotism, we can begin to heal our Nation and work towards a better tomorrow. The sacrifices of service members and their commitment to our country have given our nation the freedom that so many around the world hope for. I am committed to working on behalf of our veterans every day in Congress and ensuring we are implementing common-sense policies that support our servicemembers, veterans, and their families. 

August Pfluger represents the 11th District of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives.  A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Pfluger served his country in uniform for nearly two decades – commanding hundreds of combat airmen and serving in the Pentagon and NATO Command. Today, Colonel Pfluger is a decorated combat veteran with over 300 hours of direct action against radical jihadists in the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.