The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration.
It's no surprise that a president who never served in the military -- whose father never served, and whose two sons never served -- would so misunderstand the veteran community that he would even consider renaming Veterans Day, as President Donald Trump suggested on Thursday that he would do. It's the kind of move that reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of what veterans value and what they've sacrificed.
What's next? Renaming Memorial Day to Suckers and Losers Day, reflecting what Trump reportedly called veterans who had given the last full measure of devotion while serving?
As someone who served in combat and has spent years working with and advocating for fellow veterans, I can tell you this: Gestures such as parades and hollow patriotism don't fool us. Veterans don't want slogans. We want action. We want to see our country live up to its promises.
Were the commander in chief actually in touch with America's 14 million veterans, he would understand that we don't want to see our brothers and sisters fired from their jobs in the federal workforce -- especially when veterans make up one-third of that workforce. He would know that gutting the Department of Veterans Affairs by cutting more than 80,000 positions doesn't signal strength or efficiency; it signals abandonment.
He would also know that quality transition programs such as the GI Bill and VA vocational rehabilitation are lifelines, not luxuries. Veterans rely on these programs to reintegrate into civilian life, build careers and support their families. Undermining these services is not just shortsighted. It's shameful.
And yet, even as his administration slashes resources that directly impact veterans' well-being, the president is proposing a $50 million military parade in Washington, D.C., scheduled for June 14. The symbolism is hard to miss: Spending millions on a one-day spectacle while simultaneously cutting the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase (VASP) program -- a critical initiative that helped more than 17,000 of the most economically vulnerable veterans and their families stay in their homes.
This is not leadership. It's political theater at the expense of those who have already sacrificed much.
We are not fooled by the optics of flags and parades when the policies behind the scenes tell a different story, one of neglect, betrayal and a complete disconnect from the real needs of those who served.
Veterans aren't asking for special treatment. We're asking for the promises made to us to be honored. We're asking for the opportunity to work hard at jobs, access to health care, mental-health support, education, housing stability and a functioning VA that isn't being hollowed out from within.
If the president and VA Secretary Doug Collins truly care about those who wore the uniform, they need to stop posturing and start listening. These recent decisions are not just misguided; they're harmful, and they risk eroding the trust between the government and the men and women who were willing to give their lives for our country.
It's time to get back in step with the veteran community -- not with fanfare, but with follow-through.
Lt. Col. Joe Plenzler, USMC (ret.), is a veterans advocate.
