Recently, Americans have been subjected to persistent political blather about “1%” of our citizens who, supposedly, “aren’t paying their ‘fair’ share of taxes” in relation to the other 99%. But I’m more concerned about a different 1%–actually about one-half of 1%. This involves current military personnel who provide the rest of America with its peace and freedom. Many of these 99-percenters haven’t a clue about what this 1% has endured on their behalf since our all-volunteer military became a reality.

It appears that many of the protected have short memories when it comes to understanding and appreciating the intense and burdensome sacrifices of these warriors. Being a soldier requires taking personal responsibility for representing one’s country, protecting allies and comrades around you, while attempting to stay alive yourself. This is something a majority of young Americans appear comfortable letting others do for them. Since the end of the military draft system in 1973, most young people have little motivation to serve. A military that is less connected to the rest of society is a condition that does not bode well for the future of military-civilian relations.

Some perceptions about the reality of military service and war are based on the often naive and skewed views of news and entertainment media or politicians who have never donned a military uniform, been separated from their families in combat, or heard a shot fired in anger. One wonders what our Founding Fathers would think about the present path we find ourselves on as a nation when so few are willing to run toward danger in defending America, while so many others are inclined to run away from it. This current civilian disconnect from our military has the potential to turn into a huge democratic dilemma. A majority of our youth invest nothing in the way of personal sacrifices for defending this country, though their entire existence is protected by our military.

Then, concurrently, the first thing politicians and bureaucrats do when budget crunches develop is to go after our warriors…as if they haven’t already given enough for this nation and the other 99%. They’ve suited-up and taken the field while the rest have decided it’s more convenient to be spectators.

Reducing patriotic duty and military service to a matter of personal choice, job options and educational perks may be placing us on a rocky road to potential disaster.

We have lost “fairness” and national resolve that’s born of shared sacrifice. We are losing the sense of unity and sustained support for our military that only comes when all classes of people serve. This form of citizenship has virtually vanished. Something must change if we intend to have sufficient military personnel for future missions and wars.

In addition, our political structure is so dysfunctional that the U.S. Senate only passes budgets when the spirit moves its leadership, which hasn’t been often. We see a government administration and Congress willing to balance deficits on the backs of military veterans while completely disregarding their own despicable history of wasteful spending that has helped create a current out-of-control fiscal debacle. It’s hypocritical of these politicians—most of whom have never served one minute in any branch of service—to laud the military when it successfully confronts terrorists and then does everything possible not to fund it with adequate resources and monetary compensation for its soldiers.

Our warriors carry out the nation’s defense policies. They should be rewarded for service that has included countless deployments in war zones year after year. Children are separated from their parents for long periods of time which promotes insecurity and depression. Family separations also create higher divorce and possibly even suicide rates. In addition, their physical wounds and psychological trauma from combat may last a lifetime.

As a retired combat veteran myself, I’m appalled that politicians spend billions on pet projects to get reelected, fail in their duty to provide adequate waste, fraud and abuse oversight, then demand that those who risk the most for this country sacrifice even more, which often includes their lives. A cynic once said that we learn from history that we learn nothing from history. Herein lies the rub.