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From the “rude bridged that arched the flood” at Concord to the bloody snows of Valley Forge to the sands of Iwo Jima to the rocky hills of Afghanistan, America has always owed its existence to those willing to put their lives on the line for God and country.

We still do.

Today, with a volunteer military, our obligations to these brave men and women is contractual, but it is a special kind of contract, always with the threat of blood to bind it. It is a contract which must always, always be honored.

The Constitution lists few specific responsibilities for the federal government. But chief among those so enumerated is the responsibility to defend the people of the United States. The Founders recognized it, and in pledging their “lives, [their] fortunes, and [their] sacred honor,” recognized that that defense involves sacrifice, and sometimes the ultimate sacrifice.

In their memory and in gratitude for those who serve, we must keep faith, and the promises made to them.

Some of those promises are monetary. We agree to pay our soldiers, and that monetary contract must be scrupulously kept. The promises are not only a salary while in service, but a promise for retirement pay, at a level commensurate with the length of service, the hazards of the service, and one that takes into account special needs resulting from that service.

Service interrupts lives and careers. Part of our promise must include mechanisms to hold harmless those who answer the call, by ensuring that jobs are available to veterans.

It must include counseling and treatment for those for whom service on hellish battlefields has impaired their ability to function in the larger society. It must include adjustment periods and accommodation for disability.

The promises cannot ignore the families of those left behind. We must make every provision for spouses and children, seek to minimize disruptions, and provide opportunities for in-service contacts to keep the effects of displacement on families at a minimum.

The majority of those serving are young in years, but as they return, they have a maturity that will serve them and our entire society well, if it is cultivated and educated. Our promises to veterans must include opportunities for education and training. Our historic experience with the GI Bill provides a spectacular example of the advantages of education, for the individual and for the nation.

As I have spoken with veterans and their leaders, I have learned that in many cases veterans are unaware of the range of programs and benefits available to them. Given the type of selfless individuals who make these sacrifices, this is not surprising. But it is unacceptable. Our veterans organizations must be given the resources to double and re-double outreach efforts to veterans, so than not a single one is deprived of the benefits available to them, extended by a grateful nation.

From time to time I read in the papers of the passengers on aircraft standing and saluting returning soldiers who happen to be on the flight. Those incidents remind us that the final part of the promise we make to veterans is to give them the honor, the esteem, and the recognition they have earned.

And they remind me that, if I have the honor to serve, I will return the service I have received, with all the energy I can muster, and the gratitude I owe.