Each year, the USO encourages U.S. citizens to use the six weeks between Memorial Day and July 4, to reflect on the service and sacrifice of their fellow Americans who serve in the United States armed forces. We call the period the Patriotic Six.

You won't see the Patriotic Six on any calendars. There are no greeting cards. As far as we know, no one has used the period as the perfect excuse to sell cars or mattresses.

All we ask is that Americans find some time at the beginning of the summer to look around them and reflect on how fortunate we are to live in this country and to be defended by volunteers stationed around the world.

The backyard barbeques, the youth baseball and soccer games are possible because of their service. Just a few generations ago, Americans approached the beaches along our coasts with some trepidation. "Are there submarines out there? Are we really safe?" Today, we step among sunbathers and surf fishers worrying only about whether we brought along enough sunscreen.

The USO is proud to be one of the organizations with the mission to lift the spirits of military members and their families, and we do not take that responsibility lightly.  We work with other great groups who provide care for wounded warriors and children of deployed service members. And, as we approach our mission every day, we reflect on the remarkable troops we see at U.S. airports, on duty in Korea or Iraq and Afghanistan and at military hospitals as they recover from wounds and injuries.

To us, the Patriotic Six is not a time to simply salute the flag and move on to other business. We see this period as the perfect opportunity to thank the men and women who protect us; and to give thanks to their families who sacrifice with them.

Honestly, the easiest thing in the world to do is to thank a service member for his or her service. We see them among us every day in large cities and small towns across the country. They're in line with us at the grocery. They come from our communities of their own accord.

Some are not on fulltime active duty. Many are members of the National Guard or the Reserve. The coach of the local high school lacrosse team might be called on to serve, and she will go willingly. That helpful person at the hardware store might be wearing a bright apron one day and a service utility uniform the next. They blend in and out of our lives, and if we do not recognize that our freedoms depend on their sacrifice we run the risk of sinking into the kind of complacency that makes us a weaker nation.

This is a great time of year. Many of us are able to participate in the activities that add great value to our lives and the lives of our families. Please take a moment to think about those among us who keep us free.