NASA Chief Honors US Military in Veterans Day Video

NASA chief Jim Bridenstine took time this weekend to honor the service and sacrifice of the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces, with a special Veterans Day video message. 

"Veterans Day gives us all the honor and privilege to salute our nation's military veteran," Bridenstine said in the video. "The link between NASA and the military is long and deep, and the expertise and valor that service members from all brances have brought to our space program have been essential to American leadership in space."

Bridenstine echoed the words of President Dwight Eisenhower, who said: 'Let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring piece so that their efforts shall not have been in vain." [Presidential Visions for Space Exploration: From Ike to Trump]

"Our nation owes its veterans the deepest gratitude," Bridenstine said. "It is the dedication and commitment of these men and women, those who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the principles of our nation that have made the United States the greatest country ono Earth. Thank you to each and every one of you."

Bridenstine is well-acquainted with the dedication required of the men and women in the U.S. military. He served as an aviator in the U.S. Navy and flew combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan before transitioning to the U.S. Navy Reserve, and later the Oklahoma Air National Guard. 

Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik. Follow us @Spacedotcom and Facebook. Original article on Space.com.

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Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief

Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com and joined the team in 2001, first as an intern and staff writer, and later as an editor. He covers human spaceflight, exploration and space science, as well as skywatching and entertainment. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009 and Editor-in-Chief in 2019. Before joining Space.com, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering education and city beats in La Habra, Fullerton and Huntington Beach. In October 2022, Tariq received the Harry Kolcum Award for excellence in space reporting from the National Space Club Florida Committee. He is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University. You can find Tariq at Space.com and as the co-host to the This Week In Space podcast with space historian Rod Pyle on the TWiT network. To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Twitter @tariqjmalik.