As a consultant staffed at the Performance Improvement Council, part of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, I have had the privilege of working many initiatives within the Federal Government. One such initiative, focused on our nation's veterans, is the Joining Forces Community Challenge. The Joining Forces Community Challenge was launched in July 2011 by the First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Biden in an effort to recognize and celebrate those citizens and organizations with a demonstrated, genuine, and deep desire to be of service and improve the lives of our military families.

As the year winds down and we get ready to celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa, I wanted to take a moment to stop and thank the people who we've been fortunate to work with over the past year. The work that our clients do on a daily basis is both incredible and inspirational, and we're incredibly fortunate to play a small role in helping them advance their mission.

Why do you want to go to the Mission-Driven Summit this year? Ascendant wants to know, and in return, we're awarding two FREE all-access passes to MDMS 2012. All you need to do is shoot, edit, and post a video to our Facebook page that says why YOU should be the attend MDMS 2012.

Regardless of your position on America's wars, past or present, I think we would all agree that our Veterans deserve a day to be honored. They have served our country, protecting the everyday freedoms of folks like you and me. I'm not writing this post to highlight any issues, positive or negative, surrounding our Veterans, but simply to show my support and say thank you.