With President Biden’s inauguration and the beginning of a new Congress, this is the moment to think of the nation’s 18 million military veterans and their families. For those who have borne the battle, who wore the uniform in our nation’s defense: How can we be better?

In policy and advocacy circles, the weeks and months ahead will be marked by talk of the new administration’s priorities for veterans. We’ll hear of plans and legislative priorities for better care, job training, and other support. But before we dive into priorities, first, we should pause and consider our guiding principles.