Several hundred of Jacksonville civil, political and military leaders met to show support for our servicemen in today’s 10^th annual Military Appreciation Luncheon.

As part of the first day of Jacksonville’s Week of Valor, the event served to pay respects to the servicemen protecting our country while also highlighting the relationship the city shares with the military.

“Jacksonville is a city in rich patriotic spirit, where one in every four residents has a long, strong history tie through the military,” says Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown.

Brown says billions of dollars of Jacksonville’s economy depend on our military bases, and he’s using this week to show the city is returning the support.

“Once you serve your country with distinction, you should be able to have a job and provide for your family,” he says.

Part of this week is a job fair which Brown expects will be the biggest ever held in the city, focused specifically on veterans and servicemen.  There will also be an educational summit and other opportunities for veterans to get connected to prospective employers.

“This isn’t just a nice thing to do, or a responsible thing to do- it’s the right thing to do,” he says.

Today’s keynote speaker spoke firsthand about his experience with Jacksonville installations and other duties.  Lieutenant General William Faulkner joked first about making jokes in his speech, since they “don’t joke often in the Pentagon.”

As a Deputy Commander for Installations and Logistics for the United States Marine Corps, Faulkner says many of the arenas where they serve are making progress, but our nation still has to stay strong and project power.

He says the men and women who he has visited tell some inspirational stories.  Especially touching  was a recent visit to Walter Reed, where the servicemen were not upset or sorry for themselves or their situations.

“They feel like they let their brothers and sisters down by getting injured and they want to get back out there,” he says.

It’s the support that Jacksonville shows for its military that helps keep the bases doing well, and that’s a mutual relationship.  Faulkner says at Blount Island, for example, they employ mostly civilians to do work on base and contract out from local companies.  But the way the military is treated in Jacksonville makes that possible.

“I don’t know what the metrics are for determining the nation’s most military friendly city, but I do know that other cities around the country should look to Jacksonville with envy and take copious notes,” Faulkner says.

The rest of this week features a number of events to honors servicemen and veterans while connecting them with resources and bringing some fun to the city.  A full schedule of those events can be found to the left.