Veterans Day message from a refugee living in Idaho who also serves in the military

It’s Veterans Day, and it’s an opportunity for Americans to acknowledge all people who serve. But there’s one overlooked community serving in the Army who most people don’t think of, often.

I mean former refugees like me.

The Army is a huge organization, but it’s also a welcoming community and environment. No matter your skin color, your national origin, it’s not something people see. You’re wearing the uniform, and that’s all that matters. I would encourage us to try to take lessons from that and apply them to our society in a broader way.

I live in Boise, where the population is 2% Black, and race relations are still evolving. I’ve experienced some racism here as a civilian, I’m sad to say. But the one place nobody has ever even mentioned the color of my skin is when I’m wearing an Army uniform. That’s because when somebody joins the Army, they accept that they could pay the highest price. It means you’re respected for serving the same mission as your brothers and sisters. It’s about unity. Nothing else matters, and that is what patriotism means to me.

I want people to understand that we’re ready to lose our lives for this country. When a refugee who has been in the United States for only a few years signs up to make that commitment, it gives me a special feeling of pride. I even helped a friend sign up, myself, recently. It was an honor to do so.

This is a proud Veterans Day for me because my newborn son, Books, is just 16 days old. When I was living in a refugee camp, I didn’t know if I would survive, let alone become a father and a member of the Army in America.

I want my son to grow up appreciating the country he was born in and be proud of his father’s service. Who knows? I hope he will even consider signing up to serve the country himself when he is old enough. And he’ll do so as a native of Boise.

I came to the United States from Ethiopia in 2012, having survived eight years in a refugee camp. When I got here, it was a life-changing opportunity. To start a new life and get resettled in a peaceful place was incredible. I was no longer scared for my life daily.

In Africa, I was also often worried about food for everyday living. I left those fears behind. And for me, I was so grateful for the chance to begin again that I wanted to give back. I often say: “This country has given me everything.”

I joined the Army in 2016 and went to basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Then I went to Fort Lee in Virginia, then back to my unit in Boise. I specialize in petroleum supply and in language services.

One of the things I’m trying to do in Idaho and across the country is change perceptions, both about what refugees bring to America and what it means to be a patriot. I even met with Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin, and we are working together on this. I’ve asked her to consider thanking refugees in Idaho’s armed forces for their service as a demonstration of support.

I’m not asking for special consideration. All my fellow soldiers deserve recognition, and refugees are no different. What I’m hoping is that knowing refugees will die for America might make people think twice about us.

I want people to question their prejudices about refugees and to realize that many of us are among the most patriotic people in their country.

We come here to contribute and to make an ever more perfect union.

This story was originally published November 11, 2021 at 4:00 AM.