Every year, as October draws to a close and a slight chill begins to fill the air, I focus on two days representing the service that formed and shaped my life and my character. These two days are the Marine Corps Birthday on November 10th and Veteran’s Day on November 11th. As a Marine, the birthday of the Corps is an annual celebration of a group of patriots who came together in Tun Tavern in 1775 with the promise to help liberate our country. The Marine Corps has progressed to the elite expeditionary fighting force protecting the country in the air, on land, and at sea.
Honor, Courage, Commitment, and later Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful) are words that helped mold me at an early age as I entered the Naval Academy in the summer of 1997. As with many things in life, decisions of our adulthood can be traced back to the foundational character developed through our youth and maturation. The principles and mindset shared by every brother and sister who have worn a uniform is one that unites and bonds those who had the calling, integrity, devotion, and mental strength to enter the armed services.
As a veteran, I am fortunate to have been part of the 1% of this country who raised their right hand affirming to support the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. I am grateful for all the people I had the honor to serve with. I mourn for those we lost. I am proud of what we were able to accomplish and the foundation we laid for those who came behind us. The people with the commitment and resilience to join the military in service of their country have built the bedrock for the country we are today, and are helping to forge the path for what this great nation will be tomorrow.
Reflecting on all these thoughts and emotions on Veterans Day, I am humbled for the opportunity to serve this great nation that I so dearly love. Being able to claim the titles Marine and Veteran are honors I hold dear. Thinking back through my time in service and the morals framing the strength of the military, I am reminded of Ronald Hopwood’s poem and focus on the fifth law of the Navy: “On the strength of one link in the cable, Dependeth the might of the chain. Who knows when thou mayest be tested? So, live that thou bearest the strain!” No one ever wants to be the weak link, so we strive every day to be better and stronger for the day we are tested, because we don’t know when that day will come. Working and doing everything in your power to support the team in accomplishing the mission is what drives all those who have ever worn the uniform striving to be elite.
This mindset and approach are ones we share at Skydio. Being able to support our troops who are forward deployed is one of the main things that attracted me to Skydio. We are a small US company that is making a big difference in the execution of missions and outcomes in future engagements, like the Marines in Philadelphia 246 years ago. We have a team of veterans who served across every department of defense. We understand the mission, and facilitate speed and agility on the battlefield by empowering soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines with artificial intelligence and machine learning at the edge to reduce their cognitive load as the military prepares for the future.
We are doing this with a consideration of the holistic impact our products have on communities and countries, and using our role as a leader in autonomous flight technology to promote the responsible development and use of AI. You can learn more about Skydio Engagement and Responsible Use Principles here.
With the veteran pedigree and the diligent leadership of our executive team combined with our highly-skilled design and engineering teams, we are standing by to support our brothers and sisters in arms. We at Skydio seek to live the words of Abraham Lincoln, “Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause. Honor, also, to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field and serves, as he best can, the same cause.” We would like to say thank you to all veterans for allowing us to contribute a small piece to the mission. We would also like to say thank you for your service and Happy Veteran’s Day.
