Jumping Right In
The return of a U.S. Navy warship from a lengthy deployment is an amazing event. On the pier, family and friends gather by the thousands. There are tears of happiness and relief. There is music and revelry. Public figures praise the ship and its crew. Joy is the order of the day.
A ship’s return is also the homecoming of noble and heroic public servants.
Service in the Navy, like that in the other armed services, is rooted in a noble devotion to the public good. Each sailor, on every ship, spends countless days and man-hours assisting citizens in foreign countries with community service projects. They ensure international security and protect the world’s trade routes. They epitomize partnership through exercises with other nations. And, after returning home, in spite of relentless training and deployment schedules, they often contribute time to their local communities.
But the heroism of their public service is grounded in a far simpler aspect. It derives from voluntarily jumping into the imperfect realities of our messy world and trying to make it a better place. These sailors don’t speak of change from behind a microphone. Rather, they attempt to change the behavior of others, in an uncertain and sometimes adversarial world. They are committed to a cause greater than themselves, and seek to benefit the public good. They, like the best public servants, jump right in.
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