Your U.S. military has the best child care in the nation. Full

“Your U.S. military has the best child care in the nation. Full, paid family and medical leave benefits. Why aren’t we doing that to empower our workforce?”
Thus spoke Joe Sestak, a man who has served both his nation and his people, first as an admiral, then as a public servant. His words are not born from theory, but from the heart of experience—from the decks of ships where discipline met compassion, and from the halls of power where policy meets humanity. In this declaration, Sestak raises a mirror before society and asks a question both practical and profound: if the U.S. military, an institution built for defense and sacrifice, can care so well for its own, why cannot the nation extend that same care to all its workers?

His statement is both praise and challenge—praise for a system within the military that has long understood the value of supporting families, and challenge to the civilian world, which too often neglects this truth. Sestak reminds us that strength does not come from exhaustion but from empowerment. The soldier, the sailor, the pilot—they serve best not when burdened, but when supported. So too with the worker, the parent, the nurse, the teacher. When people are given the foundations of security—child care, family leave, and dignity—they rise higher, they labor better, and they serve with heart. This is not weakness. It is wisdom.

In ancient times, the philosopher Confucius taught that a ruler’s first duty was to ensure the welfare of his people, for only when the people prospered could the nation stand strong. Sestak’s words echo that same philosophy in a modern key. He sees that the true defense of a nation lies not only in its armies, but in the wellbeing of its citizens. A workforce that is weary, unsupported, and fearful cannot build or protect a civilization; but one that is empowered and cared for can move mountains. Thus, when he points to the model of the military, he is invoking a living parable: that discipline and compassion are not opposites, but partners in the making of greatness.

Consider the Roman legions, whose might conquered continents. They were not simply soldiers—they were craftsmen, engineers, and citizens whose welfare was guarded by the state. The Roman army built roads, aqueducts, and cities, and its veterans were rewarded with land and care. The empire understood that loyalty is earned through stewardship. So it is with Sestak’s vision: he sees that the same principles that make soldiers steadfast can make workers devoted—not fear, but trust; not deprivation, but dignity.

His question, “Why aren’t we doing that to empower our workforce?” cuts to the heart of modern blindness. For in the pursuit of profit, society often forgets that people are not cogs, but souls. The military, paradoxically, has remembered this truth—that to demand sacrifice, one must first provide support. Sestak’s challenge to the nation is therefore not merely economic; it is moral. It calls upon leaders and citizens alike to see that caring for families is not a burden upon productivity, but its foundation. For when the parent is at peace, the worker is powerful; when the child is secure, the future is strong.

There is in his words a deeper reflection on what it means to be American, or indeed, human. The greatness of a people is not measured by the height of their monuments, but by the care they show for their most vulnerable. To ensure paid family leave and child care is not charity—it is civilization. It is the act of saying: “You matter. Your children matter. Your time, your health, your life—they all matter.” This recognition of shared humanity binds a people far more tightly than law or fear ever could.

Let the lesson of Joe Sestak’s words ring through the ages: to empower is to protect, and to protect is to build. The same principles that keep an army strong can keep a nation prosperous. When a government chooses to invest in its people’s wellbeing, it invests in the endurance of its spirit. Let every leader remember that policy is not merely administration—it is the architecture of a people’s future. And let every citizen remember that asking for dignity is not asking for favor—it is claiming what is rightfully human.

So, my child of tomorrow, take these words to heart: build systems that nurture, not exploit. Honor both the worker and the warrior, for both serve the same cause—the strength of the nation. And when you lead, lead as Sestak envisioned: with the discipline of a commander and the compassion of a parent. For only then shall a nation be truly defended—by the power of its heart as much as by the might of its hands.