Nearly 950 young men and women will graduate from the Air Force Academy on Saturday in the presence of Vice President Mike Pence. They will embark on commissioned service to our country at a time our future seems troubled and uncertain.

We encourage households and businesses throughout Colorado to fly American flags through Saturday to honor the graduating cadets, who represent hope for a bright future.

Graduates of the class of 2020 begin their post-college military careers as the world tries to recover from a viral attack that has directly affected the final semester of their studies.

Instead of a spring of fellowship and pre-graduation celebrations, academy seniors have lived in near-isolation on a campus surrounded by trees. The stress and isolation of a disease no military can conquer has challenged these prospective graduates in a way never experienced in the institution’s 66 years. Two members of this year’s graduating class tragically took their lives in late March.

Academy seniors were a small and select group of scholars the day the institution accepted them in advance of their freshman year. Those who got in had top high school grades, high entrance exam scores, strong character, and the ability to endure an ordeal of interviews, forms, recommendations and background checks. Those who made it through four years of rigor are the select among the select.

We thank God for them and our military’s ability to produce people with the intelligence and integrity to operate the world’s most sophisticated operations and arsenals.

COVID-19 challenges our military in much the same way it stresses individuals, households and the private economy. Freshly graduated officers play a role today no less important than that of their fellow officers during World War II, the Korean and Vietnamese wars, and the wars provoked by the Sept. 11 attacks.

As Americans put our time and effort into surviving and recovering from the pandemic, our country stands more vulnerable than before to potential attacks by foreign enemies. The president and Congress should make military preparedness the highest priority of the government. If we cannot maintain peace in the world, the pandemic could become one attack among many.

In the interest of maintaining the world’s greatest military, Coloradans should spare no enthusiasm in supporting this year’s academy graduates. Thank them and encourage them. Celebrate their commencement on social media while watching the live feed. Reward them with special discounts at businesses. Let them know we will fight for them as they fight for us.

Start with the simple act of flying a flag through Saturday, as a show of solidarity with the newest crop of commissioned officers defending the country we love. Congratulations, graduates, and may God grace your futures.