An image was in my head this morning – a bumper sticker I saw in 2004 that said, “I support the president.”

How in the world could anyone support George W. Bush? I could not fathom it. I still can’t. But that litany of reasons is for the past. I believe in moving forward and for this president, I would have such a bumper sticker. I’m sure there are folks who would ask that question of me.

I think Barack Obama is the most patriotic president I have seen in my lifetime. And Patriotism is much more than a flag pin on the lapel. It is a belief not just that our country is great, but that we truly can do better. And we can do better for all of us not just for some.

His State of the Union address on Tuesday blew me away. Without knowing at the time what had happened that night – the secret rescue of two hostages held by Somali pirates by Navy Seals – he spoke of what could be learned from the men and women in the military.

Which brings me back to where I began. Those of us who’ve been sent here to serve can learn a thing or two from the service of our troops. When you put on that uniform, it doesn’t matter if you’re black or white, Asian, Latino, Native American, conservative, liberal, rich, poor, gay, straight. When you’re marching into battle, you look out for the person next to you, or the mission fails. When you’re in the thick of the fight, you rise or fall as one unit, serving one nation, leaving no one behind.

You know, one of my proudest possessions is the flag that the SEAL team took with them on the mission to get bin Laden. On it are each of their names. Some may be Democrats; some may be Republicans. But that doesn’t matter. Just like it didn’t matter that day in the Situation Room, when I sat next to Bob Gates, a man who was George Bush’s defense secretary, and Hillary Clinton, a woman who ran against me for president.

All that mattered that day was the mission. No one thought about politics. No one thought about themselves.

One of the young men involved in the raid later told me that he didn’t deserve credit for the mission. It only succeeded, he said, because every single member of that unit did their job: the pilot who landed the helicopter that spun out of control; the translator who kept others from entering the compound; the troops who separated the women and children from the fight; the SEALs who charged up the stairs. More than that, the mission only succeeded because every member of that unit trusted each other, because you can’t charge up those stairs into darkness and danger unless you know that there’s somebody behind you watching your back.

So it is with America. Each time I look at that flag, I’m reminded that our destiny is stitched together like those fifty stars and those thirteen stripes. No one built this country on their own. This nation is great because we built it together. This nation is great because we worked as a team. This nation is great because we get each other’s backs. And if we hold fast to that truth, in this moment of trial, there is no challenge too great; no mission too hard. As long as we’re joined in common purpose, as long as we maintain our common resolve, our journey moves forward, and our future is hopeful, and the state of our union will always be strong.

I have heard the raid into Somalia was even more dangerous than the one that killed Osama Bin Ladin. And for a sitting president, it was more dangerous because if it had done all wrong as other rescue missions have in the past – including one in Somalia – it would have been disaster for Obama’s reelection.

The point is he took the greatest risk in his political life in order to save this young woman and her colleague from Denmark.

Michelle Obama watches as President Obama calls the father of the American hostage, Jessica Buchanan, to tell him that U.S. Special Forces had rescued her. White House photo

After the State of the Union, Obama was said to have left more quickly than usual because he had a phone call to make. He called  John Buchanan to tell him his daughter was safe.

Buchanan said in a CNN interview that the operation left him with an overwhelming patriotism. ”I’m extremely proud and glad to be an American,” he said. “I didn’t know this was going to transpire. I’m glad it did.”

Heck, the Somalian government was appreciative as well, saying in a statement it  ”is a great joy to the Somali government and to all Somalis as well as to all right thinking people everywhere. … Hitting them hard is the only language kidnappers of innocent people, pirates and terrorists understand, and every opportunity should be taken to wipe out this scourge from our country.”

I am not a big fan of war – I think the mistakes of Iraq and Afghanistan only confirm the need to be wiser in how we use military force. But two families have their loved ones back, thanks to the incredible Navy Seals and a president who had the guts to order the mission.