Happy R.E.D. Friday!

byTFRANTZ

197 followers

4 years ago

As we speak, members of the United States Military, and many civilians, stand vigilant as they are deployed to locations worldwide. Some known, some unknown, but all vital to the freedoms we enjoy EVERY day. So, what is R.E.D. Friday? Simply stated, it is one day per week when people wear red to support those brave men and women deployed.

What is R.E.D. Friday?

R.E.D. is an acronym. It stands for “Remember Everyone Deployed.”

The Americans supporting our troops are the silent majority. Even though we are not an “organized” group, our opinions and the desire to support our deployed loved ones are similar. America currently has service members and civilians deployed in over 150 countries worldwide. That being said, I want to make a specific distinction between the terms “deployed” and “stationed.”

A “deployed” person is at their location to accomplish a specific “mission,” if you will. While a person is deployed, their families are at home, worrying, praying, and waiting for their safe return.

A “stationed” person is assigned to their location as a “home base” for a while. Typically, if a person is stationed somewhere, they have their families there with them (although there are some exceptions).

It is essential to support our deployed troops and civilians and maintain an awareness of the common goal they are working to preserve. That is part of why R.E.D. Friday was established as a way to help honor and support them.

How Can I Participate?

This is super simple! All you have to do to participate in R.E.D. Friday is to wear something red every Friday! Easy right? Of course, if you want to be more involved than just wearing red, you can help spread the word. Remind others how important it is to keep our deployed loved ones in our thoughts.

Don’t just wear red on Fridays; ask others why they are not wearing red. Explain to them why you do. Remind them to wear red every Friday. Talk with your employer about implementing a “casual Friday” as long as you wear red. Or, if you are an employer, implement a “casual R.E.D. Friday” policy. Think outside the box, and come up with ways to get the word out!

How Did R.E.D. Friday get started?

While it is not possible to identify precisely when and how R.E.D. Friday started, there are a couple of solid suspects. According to Snopes, in 2006, Lisa Miller and Karen Boire, wives of two Canadian servicemen, created a “wear red on Friday” crusade in support of Canadians serving overseas. They posted the suggestion to their website, “MarriedtotheCanadianforces.com,” and it was widely publicized. Thousands wore red on September 23rd, 2006, at a rally led by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

This tradition was picked up on by many Americans. Bottom line, it is not difficult to wear a visible piece of red clothing in a show of solidarity to support our deployed loved ones. So go out there in your bright red hat, shirt, tie, shorts, pants, scarf, ribbon, or whatever else you can think of and be proud to tell others to do the same!

Thank you for your support!