Credit is given for this speech by Speaker, Skylar Casson
On the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month, the allies and Germany put an end of WWI. That conflict, referred to at the time as “war to end all wars”, prompted leaders to designate November 11th (this weekend of the year) as the time to honor veterans of WWI, year later, it became the day to honor ALL veterans.
Good morning, everyone, my name is Skylar Casson. On behalf of MMCRU and the Iowa Air National Guard, I want to welcome you to today’s Veteran’s Day celebration where we honor all men and women who have sworn an oath to protect and defend our freedoms. It is a day to reflect upon the importance of service, servant leadership, and caring for our nation and community.
I graduated from the previous Remsen Union High School in 2012. I am a wife and mother of three and a registered nurse on the civilian side. I am a Second Lieutenant in the Air National Guard the 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City. I joined in 2014. One of the reasons I joined aside from serving my local community and my country was because I have always looked up to my l older brother Joshua Schiltz who served in the active-duty Air Force.
I did 6 years with Security Forces and about 3.5 years ago I switched over to be a medic and in April of this year, I got accepted into a Critical Care Air transport Team nurse position in which I was able to commission to be an officer.
Being a part of the military has been an incredible experience. The people you meet, whether it’s for a couple weeks, months, or years become like another family. They became some of my biggest supporters.
Within my career so far, I have been lucky enough to go to Kosovo, Iowa’ s sister country, to train alongside their military; as well as train in other states all over the United States. A couple of years ago I was deployed for a humanitarian mission—Operation Allies Welcome. This mission was to support our efforts to bring vulnerable Afghans, including those who worked along side us in Afghanistan for the past two decades, safely to resettle in the United States. That was one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had.
Veterans are not just retired military members or full-time active-duty service members who wear the uniform every day. They are also your teachers, police officers, nurses, firefighters, doctors, lawyers, co -workers, and community members who continue to serve part-time through the National Guard.
The Iowa Air National Guard epitomizes the concept of citizen-soldiers and airmen, individuals who balance their civilian lives with their military commitments. Part0time military service provided an opportunity for individuals to serve their country without necessarily pursuing a full-time military career. It allows them to contribute to the defense of our nation while maintaining their civilian jobs, pursuing their education, or supporting their families.
Veteran’s Day is a day to honor all of those who have sacrificed so much for us and our great nation. If it wasn’t for our past, present and future military service members, we wouldn’t have the freedom we have today.
And, it’s not just the veterans who we honor today. We also want to take a moment to say ‘thank you’ to the families and loved ones of our veterans. Those we rely on when we come back from training and deployments.
Thank you for taking the time to join us today to honor the legacy of our veterans and let us never forget the debt of gratitude we owe those who have served.
God bless our veterans, the Iowa Air National Guard, and the United States of America.
Thank you!
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