This week, the family of Zelienople resident Ryan Gloyer is grieving. But they’re also celebrating the short life of the decorated member of the U.S. Army Green Beret special forces.

Sgt. Royer died Nov. 3 while fighting the Taliban in Kunduz, Afghanistan, according to information released by the Department of Defense. He was 34.

“What we want to do with Ryan’s passing is celebrate his life,” said his father, Richard Gloyer. “The way he approached his journey ... he was steadfast in his goal. He’s a role model to anyone who wants to achieve their dream job.”

Today is Veterans Day, a special day we set aside each year to honor all who serve the United States military, not just those who served and are no longer with us — but it is the untimely loss of one who was so vibrant that underscores our sense of sacrificial loss.

Today we hail those who wore the uniform and those who still do. We have a parade in their honor. We salute their sacrifice and their service.

It is the valor of men and women like Sgt. Gloyer who defend and sustain the freedoms that our republic and our Constitution guarantee. Without the unceasing assurance of security that a robust defense provides, it’s likely that free elections — like the presidential election held Tuesday — would be difficult if not impossible to conduct.

Veterans Day originally was known as Armistice Day, commemorating the end of World War I on Nov. 11, 1918 — the eleventh hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

Since then it has been expanded to become a tribute to all service men and women, past as well as present — an acknowledgment of a frequently attributed to President Thomas Jefferson: “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”

As Americans, we must engage in this vigilance. We must insist that our political leaders discern when military intervention is or is not in the best interest of our nation and its people.

For that matter, we must continually weigh our international and diplomatic relations as beneficial or detrimental to our global standing and security.

We must perceive clearly who is a friend, and who is a foe.

Admittedly that is complicated. The enemy responsible for Sgt. Gloyer’s death is at least indirectly affiliated with those who threatened bloodshed at unspecified U.S. targets intended to disrupt this week’s elections. It might be a stretch, but every battle fought over there is one less battle that can be fought here.

But the best battle is the one that never takes place to begin with. Sometimes a military presence can prevent a fight; other times it can provoke one. Misjudgments either way can prove deadly to service members and diplomatic missions.

This Veterans Day, we urge our leaders in Washington to maintain vigilance out of respect for the value of each military service member. Sgt. Gloyer and his family deserve nothing less.