People like to tell veterans to “move on.” They mean well, usually, but the phrase shows they don’t get it. You don’t move on from the knowledge that systems crack under pressure, that leaders make decisions carelessly, or that lives can change in a minute.
That knowledge doesn’t just apply to war zones. It applies to every civic breakdown we’ve watched these last few years. January 6, 2021 wasn’t some freak event—it was proof that endurance matters. Preparedness matters. Leadership matters.
Civilians don’t need to carry rifles or wear body armor to understand this. They need to train their civic muscles the same way they would their physical ones. Show up. Hold the line. Don’t let chaos become normal. Veterans can’t just “move on,” and neither can the country.