Veterans Day, 2019. Many of you know that I’m a U.S. Air Force veteran and I remain both proud and fond of the time I spent there. It has carried through to my work in the State Legislature, where I am chairman of the House Military and Veterans Affairs Committee and co-chair of the House and Senate Veterans Caucus.

Our veterans face some real and dangerous challenges, which is why I authored the veterans suicide prevention bill which passed the House and Senate unanimously and was signed into law by Governor Ducey. We all join hands this Veterans Day in mourning those men and women who have lost their lives in defense of America. We join in saluting those men and women who serve today in our armed forces.

The freedoms we enjoy today, the Thanksgiving parade here in Fountain Hills, the dinners we will share with friends and families, are all thanks to those men and women who are our front line in the defense of liberty and justice for all.

I would also add a word of thanks to the men and women who serve as first responders (police, fire, etc.), many of whom are veterans. Our prayers are with them all.