This column was originally published on Jeff Neal’s blog, ChiefHRO.com, and was republished here with permission from the author.

May 1 -7 is Public Service Recognition Week,  set aside to recognize the work done by government employees at local, state and federal levels. Government employees do not always get the thanks they deserve for the great work they do. Instead of the bad-mouthing of government workers by politicians using them to make political points, let’s try a different approach this week. Think about how government workers have supported you in your day-to-day life and, where you can say thank you to them for what they do every day.

I will start with some “Thank You” PSRW greetings for government workers whom I appreciate and I encourage everyone who reads this post to do the same.

Thank you to the Defense Logistics Agency. I spent 14 years in DLA and still believe it is one of the finest organizations in the federal government. If this week is like most at DLA, they will process over 500,000 requisitions and award 50,000 contract lines. That’s more than most agencies would do in a year or two. They will support our warfighters around the world. They will save the taxpayers money, too. Thank You! DLA Employees.

Thank you to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the National Credit Union Administration, whose work helps keep the banks and credit unions we rely on responsible and who manage the insurance programs that protect our deposits. Thank You! FDIC and NCUA employees.

Thank you to the Department of Veterans Affairs, who ensure our nation’s veterans receive the benefits and care they have earned and who manage our national cemeteries.  Thank You! VA employees.

Thank you to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, whose work has inspired and fascinated me since I was a little boy. When NASA landed men on the moon, I watched live on television. When they landed the Curiosity rover on Mars 43 years later, I was up in the middle of the night watching. It is hard to think of an organization that has done so much to inspire scientific curiosity (no pun intended). Thank You! NASA employees.

Thank you to the civilian employees of our armed forces. DoD civilians include the men and women of the Navy’s Fleet Readiness Centers who repair and rebuild aircraft and engines, the non-appropriated fund employees who run base recreational facilities, mission support professionals in HR, finance, IT, procurement and facilities, and thousands more. Thank You! DoD civilians.

Thank you to the National Park Service. This year marks the centennial of one of the greatest treasures of our country — our National Parks and Monuments. The Park Service honors and preserves our past, protects some of the most spectacular vistas in America, and makes them available to all of us. Thank You! to the employees of the National Park Service.

Thank you to the support staff in every agency at every level of government. You do not often get the recognition you deserve for the support you provide to your agencies and their customers. Your contributions may not be as visible, but agencies would not be able to get their jobs done without you. Thank You! to the support staff.

Thank you to the men and women of our armed forces. Your sacrifice provides the security we need to maintain our way of life. Risking your life, spending months at a time away from your families, working long hours in tough and sometimes life-threatening situations, you are truly the guardians of freedom. Thank You! to our American armed forces.

Thank you to the diplomats. Whether appointees, career Foreign Service, or the people who support them, you represent America abroad, support economic development and are the face of America to other nations. You risk your life to do a vital job. Thank You! to the diplomats.

Thank you to the law enforcement officers. You have some of the toughest jobs in government. You work long hours and risk your life to protect everyone else. You have tough jobs, but you continue to do them day after day, year after year. Our society depends on men and women like you. Thank You! to the law enforcement officers.

Thank you to everyone else in government. Public service is more than just a job. For many public servants it is a calling — a way to contribute to our society every day. You may not be in one of the highly visible jobs, but we depend on you and your work. You make a difference every day, and most Americans appreciate what you do. Thank You! to public servants everywhere.

And while we are thanking public employees, let’s also think about supporting their efforts in the best way we can — with a modernized civil service that ensures they receive the pay and benefits we would want any good employer to provide. Let’s make the federal government a model of what is best about working and living in America. Nothing would honor our civil servants more.

Jeff Neal is a senior vice president for ICF International and founder of the blog, ChiefHRO.com. Before coming to ICF, Neal was the chief human capital officer at the Department of Homeland Security and the chief human resources officer at the Defense Logistics Agency.

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