Mothers holding the line stateside while husbands, boyfriends, fathers, brothers, and uncles fought conflicts across the globe. Fathers doing the same, deployed while families managed at home. Children processing separation, displacement, responsibility, sacrifice. Siblings holding each other through moves. Young people navigating identity shaped by service they didn't choose but inherited.

In congregations across America, in youth programs in every community, in schools on military installations and in civilian neighborhoods, there are young people whose service has gone unseen. They are not volunteering their time. They are not building résumés. They are not learning compassion as an extracurricular activity. They are living it, without choosing it, without recognition, and often without relief.