An editorial submission to USA Today by US Army General Martin E. Dempsey, commander of the Army Training and Doctrine Command, encouraged Americans to “say thanks” to servicemembers when they seem them in the airports this Christmas season.  The Army ceases formal training courses over the holidays, allowing more than 40,000 soldiers to be home for the holidays.

During the next two weeks, more than 40,000 soldiers will depart our posts, camps and stations to travel across America. They will be joined by thousands of other troops traveling to and from Afghanistan, Iraq and other overseas locations where they’re stationed to protect and promote the liberties we celebrate.

I ask all Americans to take a moment to say “thank you” to these servicemembers as you encounter them. They have all sworn an oath to protect our way of life, knowing the risks that entails, and many of them have experienced multiple deployments into the war zones.

In a somewhat related article, servicemembers who are leaving or arriving at commercial airports can be dropped off and met at the gate by their families, as opposed to saying their goodbyes or having their reunions outside of security.  The Transportation Security Agency noted that families can ask an airline representative for a gate pass to travel through security without the normal boarding pass.  (This is the same procedure that allows adult escorts to drop off minor children and the like.)  The TSA notes that the system is controlled by the airlines and may vary by location–but you don’t know if you don’t ask.

Read the General’s full letter here.