Hello my sisters and brothers-in-arms, their family, and support systems! It is a new year with new possibilities and a chance to support your community as a whole! Many of us have lost loved ones to Covid-19 or other issues this past year and are hurting. We feel and understand your pain and sense of loss, as we are bearing these wounds also! We lost several veterans in our midst to various things; and we feel their loss deeply. We grieve with their families and friends, and within our own community as their friendship, leadership, mentorship, stewardship, and love will be sorely missed!!!!! Never take these relationships for granted, because you never know when they will be taken from you. Learn all you can from them and listen to their stories. Make time for one more cup of coffee or a joke. Cherish these friendships, because they are as a whisper in the breath of time. Remember to reach out to their families and make sure that they are ok- as that is one of our principals: taking care of the veteran's widow/widower and orphaned child. We are praying that these vaccines will work to stamp out this vicious plague on our world! This brings to mind the blessings of the polio vaccine when it came about & was able to save whole generations of people. It didn't care about your age, race, social standing, or net worth- everybody was fair game. Covid-19 is similar, except that now we are much more of a global community- ready to be infected on the next flight, meeting, or handshake. So....wear your mask, wash your hands, and stay 6 feet or more apart. We can fight this as a veteran community, like we have fought every conflict that we have ever been involved in. The only difference is that we cannot see our enemy, though we know that they exist. Stay safe!!!