Twenty years ago, the world stopped on 9/11. It was the darkest day in modern U.S. history.

In a rare display of unity, we all came together to mourn the lives lost, celebrate our first responders who rushed into harm’s way, and support our military who fought to ensure a mass terror attack did not happen again on American soil.

Even today, two decades after being attacked, the War on Terror is not over. Radical Islamic terrorists still want to kill Americans and destroy our way of life. While we are tired, we must remain vigilant.

The United States has the greatest military in the world — a true force for good which keeps Americans safe and defends our liberty.

Unfortunately, we saw last month in Afghanistan what happens when politicians in Washington don’t do their jobs. Simply put, our political leaders ignored the sound advice of military commanders, turned their backs on our troops, bowed down to terrorists, and abandoned our allies.

While our military is the strongest force in the world, our country is in grave danger if our men and women in uniform are not supported by our political leaders in Washington. Unfortunately, our leaders have failed our armed forces, our allies, and every single American.

I can no longer sit on the sidelines and watch our country go down the wrong path. I’m not a politician, and I have never claimed to be. However, as I run for the U.S. Senate, I am guided by three principles on national security that are based on common sense.

First, we must respect our military and rely on the advice of our great generals. It is truly sad to see our politicians putting American lives at risk just to score political points. We need elected leaders who will have the backs of our men and women in uniform and ensure they have the resources and equipment needed to be successful.

Secondly, the United States must not negotiate with terrorists. I believe in President Ronald Reagan’s motto of Peace through Strength. Unfortunately, what just unfolded in Afghanistan appeared to bend to the wishes of terrorists and sent a signal of weakness to our adversaries around the world.

Lastly, we must never leave any Americans behind. U.S. citizens and our military must be able to count on our government bringing them home. Now, that long-held notion has been disregarded as we abandoned an untold number of Americans in Afghanistan.

Growing up, I always wanted to be a Marine. While football took me down a different career path, I have been blessed to be the spokesman for the Patriot Support Program through Universal Health Services. This amazing opportunity has granted me the chance to visit hundreds of military bases and talk directly with thousands of our men and women in uniform. Not a day goes by when I am not reminded of the sacrifices that they – and their families – make each day.

In honor of our servicemen and women, we must find a way to come together and speak with one voice if we hope to see real change. Our enemies want nothing more than for us to argue over political differences instead of working together to ensure that America remains the greatest country in the world.

Please join me this weekend in remembering the lives lost on 9/11 and paying tribute to our first responders and troops. If you pass by a soldier or a first responder today, please tell him or her thank you. We owe them a tremendous debt.

Herschel Walker is a candidate for the U.S. Senate in Georgia.