As Americans everywhere gather with friends and family to celebrate Independence Day, we at VirTra think it’s important to remember that the freedoms we have here in our country didn’t get here for free.

Across this company, the men and women who imagine, create, influence, develop, build and sell our use of force simulators for law enforcement officers, the military and other high security users are typically ex-military or former police officers themselves who have already served their country and their communities with pride and honor.

We hire our uniquely prepared employees for having that real-world experience, for their wisdom and for their knowledge of tactics, methods and what it is like to be out on the streets, protecting their communities and nation with first-hand expertise.

These are many of the people who are working for VirTra, who have served to help protect and stand up for those who can’t protect or stand up for themselves. That means a lot to VirTra as a company. These are the people who are working to make our use of force simulators as realistic as possible for the police officers and military personnel who use them for training. These are the people who in doing their jobs feel that their work is critical to improving police and military firearms and situational awareness safety training and that by doing so they are giving back to their communities and to their country.

On this Independence Day, we at VirTra celebrate and commemorate that pride we have in focusing on our core mission.

The Fourth of July is a very personal holiday to our employees.

Most of us have had friends in law enforcement and the military who have lost their lives through their personal service and sacrifice. On this July 4th holiday, we remember police officers and military veterans as well as their departments and service branches across the nation to honor those who have lost their lives keeping our nation secure and strong.

Their sacrifices are central to the work we do. We believe that by improving real-world use of force options training for our nation’s police officers and military service members that they have a better chance to survive conflicts that can arise while they are doing their jobs, and a better chance of finding ways to de-escalate dangerous situations and restore order without any weapons being fired.

Our nation’s Declaration of Independence was signed and adopted on July 4, 1776 by the fathers of our nation in Philadelphia, giving our then-fledgling nation its start, as recorded on parchment.

On this 4th of July, we remember all of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to give us the freedoms that we have as Americans.

We also celebrate and thank all of those in public service today, in police departments and the military, as well as our nation’s firefighters, teachers, government officials and others who believe that serving this country is a great and noble cause.

The freedoms of this country aren’t free, and on this Independence Day, we salute you all.