Upbeat–and Sometimes Miraculous–Stories From the Holy Land.
By M.H. Levine
A military center combined with amazing education. Programs that help build strength and leaderships skills in young people..and events, community and counseling for–and actual joyous celebration of–Veterans. This is the mission of the Israel Air Force Center in Herzaliya.
Spending on Military and Education has always been at odds in the United States. One seems to happen at the expense of the other, in our tug of war politics.
Certainly not so at the IAF Center–run by the IAF Center Foundation–which is breath of fresh air in terms of honoring military personnel. If there is another building somewhere in the word that honors military personnel and veterans so well, I’d love to see it.
“At the IAF Center, we believe in investing in human capital — building this young generation of Israelis into the leaders of tomorrow. Leaders, especially in the IAF, can never lead alone. They rely on the men and women around them. That’s why we teach team building and encourage friendship amongst our participants.” (Picture and caption: IFC Center Foundation).
Could the solution for Veterans Services in the United States involve this kind of private/public funded localized center that is gleaming, first rate, celebratory and kind…?
In keeping with the idea of a military that spends less in the United States, but way more effectively…and an educational system upon which we begin spending a little more BUT ALSO WAY MORE EFFECTIVELY…it would amazing to see a few centers like these spring up, spread across different branches of the American Military. If such a thing were to happen, each new Veteran’s Day would be a happier day for more and more American veterans…year after year.
