Every year our country comes together on Veterans Day to honor the brave men and women of our armed services who risk their lives daily to protect our freedoms, and to also remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice defending our country. America would not be what it is today without the bravery and sacrifice of those individuals bravely serving our country.

Along with celebrating their heroism, it is critical that we provide care and support for our returning heroes.

As a veteran myself, I understand the hurdles many of our servicemen and women face when transitioning out of the military. I was proud to work with my colleagues in the House and Senate on both sides of the aisle to get my Veteran Skills to Jobs Act passed and signed into law by the President.

To further these efforts and help combat the unacceptably high unemployment rate amongst America’s veterans, I’m honored to join my colleagues in the House and Senate to co-chair the Congressional Veterans Jobs Caucus. We are working to raise awareness and decrease the unemployment rate of the nation’s 857,000 veterans currently out of work.

Our country has made a promise to those willing to put their lives on the line for our freedom, and during these tough economic times, every member of Congress needs to stand together to uphold that promise to all our veterans.

We must always remember the sacrifice made by these brave individuals who volunteer to protect our freedoms, and in turn, we owe it to them to honor and preserve the rights, protections and benefits they deserve.

This Veterans Day, I encourage all Americans across the nation to take the time to thank a veteran for their service, and to also take a moment to remember our fallen service members and the extraordinary sacrifice they have made for our great country.

– Denham is a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.