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Some of the nation’s apical subject leaders, veterans, and civic voices are gathering this week astatine George Washington’s property to motorboat a run urging Americans to service their country: not conscionable by honoring the flag, but by surviving retired its values.
The event, held June 12–13 astatine Mount Vernon, marks the 250th day of the United States Army and Flag Day.
It besides kicks disconnected the Military 250 campaign, a nationalist effort led by the nonpartisan nonprofit We the Veterans and Military Families to animate 250,000 acts of work crossed the country.
"This isn’t conscionable astir waving the flag," said Ellen Gustafson, co-founder of We the Veterans and Military Families, successful an exclusive interrogation with Fox News Digital. "It’s astir doing thing to enactment it."
Ellen Gustafson, co-founder of We the Veterans and Military Families, leads a Vetted Conversations sheet treatment astatine Mount Vernon successful June 2024. (Courtesy of We the Veterans and Military Families)
Gustafson, a Navy spouse and granddaughter of subject veterans, is starring the caller campaign, called Military 250. The run volition besides item 250 veteran-led organizations and 250 stories of continued service.
The kickoff begins Thursday with a ceremonial reception astatine Mount Vernon’s Smith Theater. Speakers see retired Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr., NFL Chief Financial Officer and Army seasoned Christine Dorfler, and former statesmanlike campaigner Carly Fiorina. Celebrity cook and Royal Navy seasoned Robert Irvine volition besides speak.
Friday’s programming astatine the George Washington Presidential Library features panels connected civic duty, trusted leadership, and patriotic service.
George Washington’s Mount Vernon property is the backdrop for this week’s Military250 run motorboat honoring the U.S. Army’s 250th day and Flag Day. (Courtesy of We the Veterans and Military Families)
Participants see Lt. Gen. Paul Mikolashek, erstwhile Army Inspector General; Green Beret and erstwhile NFL subordinate Nate Boyer; U.S. Chamber of Commerce Vice President Hilary Crow; and U.S. Army seasoned and comedian Thom Tran.
Gustafson said the determination of the lawsuit sends a message.
"This is wherever Washington was called to pb the Continental Army," she said. "He kept answering the call: arsenic a general, president, and backstage citizen. That’s what we request again."
We the Veterans is simply a nonpartisan nonprofit that empowers veterans and military families to lead by example. Its past enactment includes Vet the Vote, which recruited implicit 160,000 veterans and subject household members to service arsenic canvass workers successful the 2024 election.
Ellen Gustafson, co-founder of We the Veterans and Military Families, emcees an lawsuit commemorating the 75th Anniversary of Flag Day astatine Mount Vernon (June 2024). (Courtesy of We the Veterans and Military Families)
"When the state needed assistance moving elections, our assemblage showed up," Gustafson said. "That’s what existent patriotism looks like."
She said work doesn’t person to mean joining the military. It tin mean volunteering astatine schools, helping neighbors, mentoring, oregon getting progressive successful section government.
"Being a patriot is astir what you do," she said. "Not what you station online."
As a ma of 3 raising a subject family, Gustafson said she sees work each day. Her kids person lived done deployments and cross-country moves. She teaches them that sacrifice comes with work and pride.
"They cognize what the emblem stands for," she said. "And I privation them to turn up successful a state wherever much radical measurement up."
"It’s clip to bring work backmost into our culture," Gustafson said. "If you emotion this country, amusement it."
To larn much astir the Military 250 run oregon log an enactment of service, sojourn wetheveterans.us.
Jasmine is simply a writer astatine Fox News Digital and a subject spouse based successful New Orleans. Stories tin beryllium sent to jasmine.baehr@fox.com
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