National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Director Robert Cardillo and retired Air Force Gen. Larry Spencer honored the nation’s military members and their service during a ceremony Nov. 4 at the agency’s Springfield, Virginia, headquarters.

NGA employs servicemen and women from all branches of the U.S. armed forces, and as Veterans Day nears, it is important to honor and thank them – and their families – for their service and support, said Cardillo.

“We’re privileged to be one of the nation’s combat support agencies, and we wear that title proudly,” said Cardillo.

Spencer, the president of the Air Force Association and former vice chief of staff for the Air Force, recounted his experiences as a service member and growing up surrounded by active duty and former military men.

He shared a story about his father and two other Army sergeants who were wounded in action during the Korean War and recovered together at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. The men maintained lifelong friendships, and he learned valuable lessons about pride of service from them, he said.

“We have the best military in the world,” said Spencer. “It’s not about the technology. It’s about the people who use that technology to make this the best country in the world.”

During the ceremony, the workforce and guests honored military members who are prisoners of war or missing in action and sang along to the armed forces medley.

“Make sure you remind yourselves that there are veterans out there who have done heroic things,” said Spencer. “Reach out and thank them.”