Why I Served: Lt. Col. Glen Shillard

Lt. Col. Glen Shillard said any form of service involves putting others before yourself and discourages a sense of entitlement.

The student at the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies has been in the Air Force for 16 years. He’s been a B-52 navigator, worked in space operations and been an air liaison officer, among other jobs.

“It just gives you a sense of belonging to something greater than yourself,” he said of service.

Service, of any sort, encourages self-motivation, accountability, pride in your work and exposes you to the wider world, he said.

“You don’t get to the highest levels without thinking beyond yourself,” he said of military and civil leaders.

He said he used to think that veterans were old, but has since realized a veteran is anyone who has served.

“Veterans are these people that have served,” he said. “Maybe they only served a few years and didn’t die. They still served.”

And remembering those that have served is important and more than just a thank you.

“If you don’t look to the past, you forget where you came from,” he said. And forgetting the past often causes repeat mistakes, he said.