When we celebrate Veterans Day Wednesday, we honor all those who have given their lives, risked their lives and served their country so that our nation could remain free.

To every American who wears or has worn the uniform of the United States Armed Forces, I say with deepest gratitude, thank you.

My appreciation for the nation's military and all those who have served has been reinforced in the past year with four trips to the Pentagon on behalf of Luke Air Force Base. I've had the opportunity to talk with some of the top officers in the Air Force and the Defense Department, and they are an impressive group.

On my visit to Washington last week, I met with Kathleen Ferguson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, and Lt. Gen. Philip Breedlove, Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Requirements. Both are involved in the selection process for training bases for the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and both made it clear that protecting Luke from residential encroachment is critical to its chances of being selected as a training facility for the F-35.

I will continue to advocate strongly for Luke and make sure the decision-makers are aware of its unsurpassed assets and all this Office is doing to support its mission. Luke's importance to Arizona can hardly be overstated. It currently ranks as the world's largest F-16 training base with more than 200 F-16s currently assigned. The base contributes an estimated $2.2 billion a year to the state's economy.  

The Air Force announced two weeks ago that Luke is one of the finalists for the F-35. A second Arizona base, the Arizona Air National Guard's 162nd Fighter Wing in Tucson, is also a finalist. A decision is expected next spring.

Near the end of my meeting last week with Lt. Gen. Breedlove, Mayor Bob Barrett of Peoria and I thanked him for his consideration and asked if there was anything we could do to help him. He paused for a long moment and said help is needed in support of the men and women in uniform who are defending their country and putting their lives on the line. He fears that a growing disconnect between the military and the rest of the country over the military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan could result in less support for the men and women serving there.  

We must not let that happen. This, of course, is not the first time in our history when serious questions have arisen over war policy. Differences today don't compare with opposition 40 years ago at the height of the Vietnam War when I was on active duty with the U.S. Navy and soldiers and sailors became targets of political attacks. I hope we have learned not to confuse doubts about policy with the virtues of service.

Our nation has a long and proud tradition of citizen soldiers who have defended our freedom. They deserve our respect, our admiration and unwavering support.

Please join me in thanking every veteran and every member of the Armed Services currently serving for answering the call to duty. We will be forever grateful for their service to America.

Terry Goddard