May is Military Appreciation Month – MRFF Board Member John Compere explains the significant dates in this month designated by Congress to honor our men and women in uniform and their families

May is Military Appreciation Month – MRFF Board Member John Compere explains the significant dates in this month designated by Congress to honor our men and women in uniform and their families

May was designated as National Military Appreciation Month by the United States Congress in 1999 to provide a grateful nation the opportunity to publicly demonstrate appreciation for the service and sacrifice made by our military members, including those who serve, those who have served and those who have sacrificed their lives serving.

There are more military-related observances in May than any other month. It is therefore an appropriate time to recognize the men and women in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Space Force, Reserves and National Guard. Military Appreciation Month for 2026 includes observances of Loyalty Day, Victory in Europe Day, Military Spouse Appreciation Day, Children of Fallen Patriots Day, Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day.

Loyalty Day (May 1) kicks off this month of military appreciation by reaffirming our national loyalty and reflecting on the proud heritage of our constitutional democracy and individual freedoms. All military members, upon entering military service, take the sworn loyalty oath to support, defend and bear true faith and allegiance to our United States Constitution. It is the affirmation we are one nation under the Constitution and it is the Constitution in which we trust. We were the first nation independently established by and for “We the People” (Constitution Preamble) with no acknowledgment in our secular Constitution of any other authority (emperor, monarch, dictator, deity, religion, scripture, etc).

Victory in Europe Day or V-E Day (May 8) celebrates the day in 1945 when Germany unconditionally surrendered to the Allies marking the end of World War II, Nazi fascism, Hitler’s dictatorship and the Holocaust genocide in Europe.

Military Spouse Appreciation Day (May 8) is the Friday before Mother’s Day and honors military spouses with appropriate ceremonies and activities recognizing their contributions, support and sacrifices as well as the role of military families in keeping our military strong and ready.

Children of Fallen Patriots Day (May 13) remembers and acknowledges the children left behind by our fallen military members and the suffering and struggle they have to endure as a result of the death and loss of their parents.

Armed Forces Day (May 16) recognizes the men and women in the active, reserve and national guard components of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard and Space Force. It traditionally concludes Armed Forces Week and is a special day of appreciation for those serving, their families and the communities supporting them. It is also a reminder of the military’s importance and the critical role it plays in our independence, freedom and security. There are 1.3 million active duty members and 790,000 reserve and guard members. Many are deployed worldwide in foreign countries including the Middle East during the current war in Iran. These are the military men and women currently serving in their uniform.

Memorial Day (May 25) is our national holiday for remembering the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in the military service of this country to preserve the freedoms we have as Americans. It memorializes our patriotic military members who gave their lives serving this country. The National Moment of Remembrance Act requests that we pause at 3pm for one minute as an act of national unity to remember our fallen military heroes. Approximately 1,355,000 have perished fighting for this country (including at least 15 in the current war with Iran) and over 40,000 remain missing in action. These are the military men and women who served but never made it out of their uniform.

The American military is the world’s largest employer with approximately 3.5 million employed. The Department of Defense hires more people than any other organization or employer in the world.

It is also important to remember that Veterans Day is our national holiday every November 11th (commemorating the World War I armistice declared at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918). It honors those patriotic men and women, living or deceased, who have served our country honorably in the military during war or peacetime for any length of service and are no longer serving. There are 16.2 million veterans living in the United States with the most in Texas (1.4 million). These are the military men and women who served and have hung up their uniform.  

As loyal and patriotic Americans, we sincerely appreciate and extend genuine gratitude to all present and past military members and their families.

John Compere
Brigadier General, US Army (Retired)
Former Chief Judge, US Army Judiciary 
Disabled American Veteran (Vietnam Era)          
Board Member, Military Religious Freedom Foundation
Texas rancher