Joseph J. Heck: “We stand at a critical moment for our Nation's military and national defense.”

For those of us that serve voluntarily in any capacity, being the military or any other--the Peace Corps or any other public service--we do it voluntarily because of the common goal and interest and principle that binds us as a country.

Civic education provides the foundational basis that every American must have in order to fully comprehend his or her individual role in achieving the collective security of our Nation.

Any job that exists in the private sector is available in uniform, and we need to do a better job at making that known to the American public.

My greatest concern, as has been expressed by this panel, is how do we make sure that the lessons learned over the last 15 years of war don't get lost.