A Tribute to the Ultimate Heroes or Greatest Workers Among Us - The Men in Uniform

Everyone has a duty for a living. Everyone need to operate safely for a living while performing those duties. Unfortunately, this isn't the case for a section of workers who routinely go about their tasks. The men in uniform - the police officers, soldiers and everyone of such ilk, put their lives on line every day while they work day-in and day-out to secure the nation internally and externally. Consider this most recent example of the risks playing out for the greatest workers and heroes living among us. This incident is one of the countless examples of dangers and hazardous conditions cropping up for police every now and then who struggle every day to keep us secure. 

On afternoon of Monday, April 29th, 2024, members of a U.S. Marshals Service task force were serving an active felony warrant at a home in east Charlotte, North Carolina when a fugitive or the person sought after, with a high-powered rifle began firing at them from the second floor. Multiple officers were hit, and the other task force members called in reinforcements. As local police arrived and began to rescue the downed task force members, more gunfire came from the house and additional officers were struck. Of the eight officers who were struck, four police officers died at area hospitals. The incident has claimed the lives of four police officers for doing their duties. Lives of four fathers and husbands cut short. The officers loved their work, and were passionate about their roles in protecting their communities. These officers died as heroes and made the ultimate sacrifice in their service to the state.  We need to remember them, honor their service and recognize the sacrifice of their families and friends for sending martyrs to the cause of nation. Police officers know that each time they put on their uniform, they are taking on risks to protect others. 

 

The art and science of working as men or women in uniform is simply amazing by virtue of what it takes to give your life as ultimate price of doing duty. While giving your life is one of the essential duties in the operation manual of a police officer, it is not the only challenge plaguing them. Individuals in uniform must navigate a wide range of challenges in their professional and personal lives, requiring resilience, adaptability, and support from their communities and organizations. Here are some broader issues which bother them in addition to putting life on line. Dealing with traumatic events, witnessing violence, and experiencing high-pressure situations can take a toll on the mental and emotional well-being of individuals in uniform. Law enforcement officers, in particular, may face public scrutiny and criticism, especially in cases of alleged misconduct or controversial incidents and every action will sometimes come under lens for simply going through their routines. Military personnel and law enforcement officers often work long hours, irregular shifts, and weekends or holidays, which can disrupt their personal lives and lead to fatigue and burnout. There can be stigma associated with certain professions in uniform, such as misconceptions about aggression or authoritarianism among law enforcement officers or negative stereotypes about military personnel. Balancing the demands of their job with personal responsibilities and interests can be difficult, especially for those who work irregular hours or are frequently deployed away from home. In short, the life of a police officer or a soldier is extremely tough, traumatic and physically, mentally challenging, exhausting while also drawing the ultimate sacrifice at times when performing the duty. Can there be anyone who contributes more to a society, state and country while being on duty during rain, storm, cyclone or come what may. Can there be anyone who gives more than 100% while securing societies, nations and gives us great freedom. Can there be anyone who is confined to ‘military’ lifestyle with great work ethic, discipline and standards while letting us drop our guard down and enjoy our lives. For every one of these reasons, we can comfortably call a police officer or a soldier as most valuable ilk who adorn the greatest of professions and serve the societies to the highest possible extent. 

 

We have seen the life of men in uniform is extremely tough and they barely pass through, balancing everything. For all it takes, the outcomes are also significant to the people who work in the field and those who have some experience or other serving in military. We can leave about everything, consider this - the men in uniform are highly patriotic and many times become the first line of defense for the country. There is no other profession which puts nation first as much as men in uniform does. There is a practical measure for this. There is no other person who serves U.S. more than a U.S. president. To date, 26 of the 45 U.S. presidents served in the military. Around 60% of U.S. presidents in the past 250 years or more have some form of military experience which speaks volumes about the profession and the people it grooms. I haven’t seen much in India, but U.S. celebrates the fallen soldiers with a public holiday - Memorial Day—which began as Decoration Day in 1868 when the graves of Civil War soldiers were adorned with flowers—was made an official U.S. holiday in 1971. Every year on the last Monday in May, those who’ve died serving our country are honored with flags and parades and other remembrances. In addition to Memorial Day observed on last Monday of May, the month of May is also recognized as Military Appreciation Month. This small writeup in May is also a tribute to every soldier and police officer as part of the same ‘Military Appreciation Month’. 

 

The statistics of police or military personnel who lost their lives gives a picture of reality around us and a true meaning of life and death while simply doing the duty. In the 75 years of Independent India, 35,800 police personnel were killed. That is more than one police officer killed every day in any part of the country. The U.S. military lost around 102,000 soldiers killed in all the wars it fought since the end of World War 2, including 58,220 during the Vietnam War. The contemporary 2-year-old Russia-Ukraine war is a nightmare for any living soldier on both the sides. 150000 Russian soldiers have been killed and 31000 Ukrainian soldiers also lost their lives since Russia’s full-scale invasion. It is extremely sad to live in Russia like everything is normal when thousands of soldiers are killed for national interests. It should be our humble request to stop the wars and prevent the next needless death of men in uniform.

 

The essence of this all is to safeguard and prolong the careers of men in uniform to the maximum possible tenure. The number of personnel getting killed should be drastically brought down and these police personnel should be guarded against working in harmful circumstances. Armed officers should be given all possible assistance to serve societies the way they have been doing in the past and present. It is the collective wish of societies that the police personnel continue to uplift everyone with their able work for the next 10, 20, 50 and 100 years. There is no greater blessing for a land than the men working in ‘police’ mode.