Jocko Willink: Without American workers, we wouldn’t have our freedom – be thankful for them on Labor Day
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On this Labor Day we should be thankful to our American workers – not just for what they engineer, build, grow and produce, but also for our freedom.
I was blessed to have the honor to serve in the United States military during a time of war. I fought alongside soldiers, sailors and Marines on violent battlefields – and I saw with my own eyes my generation of warriors uphold the proud tradition of America’s patriots.
America’s military has a storied history of bravery, ingenuity and grit. But its most important tradition is the tradition of victory. America’s military wins wars. It is as simple as that.
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If our nation deems it morally right and existentially necessary, then our military is unstoppable.
Of course, the credit for victory is often given to the members of the military on the front lines – those taking the fight to our nation’s enemies in close combat. That credit is well deserved. But it is not the only credit that needs to be bestowed.
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It is a simple fact that many of the most critical victories in America’s history were won not only on distant, bloody battlefields, but were also won right here at home: in factories, fields and farms.
It is this unstoppable work ethic of the American worker that has given our military the tools and technology to maintain our freedom and security in the world. For this, we should all be grateful for the American worker on this Labor Day.
Yes, America’s ability to produce – to design, grow, build and manufacture – has been just as important to our nation’s victories as our ability to fight.
And throughout history, when Americans marched to war, we marched wearing boots made by American hands.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}We wore uniforms that were cut and sewn in American factories.
Our body armor, helmets, and weapons have been the products of the American work ethic, skill and determination.
The best planes, ships and vehicles in the world that carry us to war and support us on the battlefield only exist because the American worker built them.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Without the American worker, there can be no American soldier.
So let us never forget: the freedom we cherish so dearly, is a gift – not only from our American servicemen and women – but it is also a gift from the American worker.
The American worker who toils in fields, in factories, in shipyards and on other job sites.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The American worker who gets up day after day after day – not only to build and create products, but also to build our economy.
And while our military might is the most prominent sign of the strength of our great nation, it is our economy that gives America our strongest influence around the world and gives us the ability to make the world a better place.
Unfortunately, there are some people today who say that America’s working spirit has been lost; that Americans can no longer build and create; that our skills have been lost and that we can only import products from overseas.
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Those naysayers are wrong. As a leadership consultant, I work with companies around the country every day and I see with my own eyes the power of American workers. They can still raise crops, build bridges and buildings, create technology, produce energy, manufacture products, and rise to meet any demand that is placed upon them.
I see this on the factory floors of one of the companies I co-own: Origin USA. There, in the foothills of the mountains of western Maine, we have brought back looms to weave fabric and machines to sew boots.
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And most importantly, we have brought back the men and women who not only have the skills and knowledge to get the job done, but who also know how to work – and work hard.
It is this unstoppable work ethic of the American worker that has given our military the tools and technology to maintain our freedom and security in the world. For this, we should all be grateful for the American worker on this Labor Day.
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