Running with purpose

Image courtesy: Cpl. Eugenio Montanez

As America grills hot dogs, watches ballgames, and gazes at fireworks, troops in Afghanistan and Iraq are marking July Fourth weekend away from their families. Some are hard at work in mountains or desert sand, while others are enjoying some downtime. After volunteering to serve their country and being ordered overseas to fight, many are reflecting on what Independence Day represents.

At Afghanistan's Camp Leatherneck, part of the 1st Marine Division (Forward celebrated America's birthday with a batallion run. Led by Brig. Gen. Joseph Osterman and Sgt. Maj. Phillip Fascetti, Marines and sailors from California's Camp Pendleton ran behind their battle colors, did push ups, and stretched in remembrance of Independence Day. Brig. Gen. Osterman also spoke to his men and women about the holiday's meaning, and why its lessons are so important to their post-9/11 mission.

Many Marines and sailors running on Saturday did so with heavy hearts. An unofficial count shows that 12 Camp Pendleton-based Marines were killed in Afghanistan in June, which was the deadliest month of the war for coalition troops. A Marine has already been lost in July, as Cpl. Larry Harris Jr., was killed in Helmand province on Thursday. The volunteer warrior from Thornton, Colorado, was just 24 years old.

Being proud of our country and celebrating its greatness is an important annual tradition. During wartime, I believe every day should feel like the Fourth of July. There is no nation putting more on the line to combat evil than the United States of America. Confronting al Qaeda's worldwide network of terrorism, the Taliban's brutal oppression of women, and the atrocities of Saddam Hussein have permanently altered history.

Whether one agrees with the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan, the fact that so many Americans, of different ages, religions, and backgrounds, are willing to volunteer for these tremendously difficult assignments should be a tremendous source of pride. We needed these brave men and women to step up and keep the stripes broad and the stars bright. Over and over again, they have proven they are up to the task.