Adam Burke served as an Infantryman in the US Army and deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. After 14 months on deployment, and just two weeks before his return home, Adam was hit by a mortar and sustained serious injuries. After being treated at home, he was medically retired from the military.

Adam knew, however, that his service to his country wasn’t finished. In 2009, Adam decided to start Veterans Farm, a program to help other disabled veterans reintegrate into society through horticulture therapy which promotes physical and cognitive rehabilitation. For 18 months Adam donated his disability checks and ran the program full-time as a volunteer. In February of this year, Adam earned a Mission Continues Fellowship that allowed him to expand the farm and serve more veterans.

Adam has continued his life to service, and he draws from the skills and values that he learned in military service. “You put one firefly in a jar and have a glitter of light, but you put a thousand fireflies in a jar and you create something beautiful and magnificent,” Adam said. “With a T.E.A.M., Together Everyone Achieves More. This holds true for any nation. A nation that is divided will be conquered. Stand together and let no man rise against us!”

At The Mission Continues, a national nonprofit organization that I founded after returning from service in Iraq as a Navy SEAL, we are building a generation of citizen leaders like Adam. We support veterans and civilians to serve side by side, and we grow stronger communities. We aim to shape the way that our country welcomes service members home. We understand that veterans not only have to hear “thank you,” but they also have to hear “we still need you.” The Mission Continues Fellowship Program empowers wounded and disabled veterans by offering community service fellowships, challenging them to become citizen leaders in their communities.

One of The Mission Continues’ current Fellows is Neil Daniel. Born and raised in Iraq, Neil’s family immigrated to the United States when he was 23 years old. Neil became a US citizen in 1986. In 2008, while serving in Iraq as an interpreter and cultural advisor, he suffered multiple gunshot wounds while protecting his commanding officer during an ambush. He now lives with permanent hearing loss and paralysis to the right side of his face.

Despite his challenges, Neil has turned his suffering into strength. “I learned no matter what type of circumstance a man is placed in, you need to have faith that there is always a light at the end of a dark tunnel,” Neil said. He was inspired to continue his service to our country by giving back to the same organization that helped him recover from his wounds. Through his Mission Continues fellowship, Neil is working with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, serving as a peer mentor.

“As a Fellow of Mission Continues, I believe that each person in our society can make a difference and that everyone should try to set some time aside for volunteer work. Through our [fellowships], we can inspire more individuals to get involved,” Neil said. “We are capable and strong—America needs us.”

Through our efforts, The Mission Continues ensures that disabled veterans are welcomed home not as problems, but as civic assets. We work through public campaigns and partnerships to see that veterans are recognized are some of our strongest citizen leaders.

Veterans Day is an opportunity to honor all those who have bravely put on the uniform to serve our country. We look back with pride, and forward with confidence, knowing that our veterans continue to serve. There is no better way to welcome home this generation of veterans than to celebrate their strength and to serve alongside them.

This Veterans Day, November 11th, The Mission Continues will bring together over 2,000 volunteers and civilians to honor and empower our veterans through 22 service projects in 18 cities across the country. For more information, visit our website at www.missioncontinues.org. Join us. You’ll make us stronger.