A cowboy's prayer

Image courtesy: Croxford Funeral Home

In Afghanistan, Spc. Jonathan Pilgeram was an authentic representative of the great American frontier. The Montana paratrooper was patriotic, loved God, and listened to George Strait, Tim McGraw, and Kenny Chesney. And like Johnny Cash, another musician he admired, Pilgeram could almost always be found wearing black, as loved ones said a dark cowboy hat was his trademark.

Spc. Pilgeram also excelled in cattle ranching, hunting, marksmanship, and repairing engines. But first and foremost, he was a great soldier. Don't take my word for it, though; read the words of a general.

"He had the courage, dedication and commitment to serve his country in the military, which less than one percent of Americans do," Brig. Gen. Steven Feldmann said. "He joins the heroes of past wars who gave their last breath for this nation."

According to the Pentagon, Spc. Pilgeram was killed on Feb. 17 in Afghanistan's Konar province when terrorists attacked his patrol with small arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), based out of Kentucky's Fort Campbell.

The Great Falls Tribune reports that Brig. Gen. Feldmann attended Pilgeram's Saturday funeral service to present the 22-year-old departed warrior's family with his posthumous Bronze Star medal.

"I'm here to honor and pay tribute to an American hero," the general said.

Peter Johnson reports that the Soldier's Creed was recited at the February 26 funeral service in Great Falls, Mont., including this key section:

I will always place the mission first.
I will never accept defeat.
I will never quit.
I will never leave a fallen comrade.

Spc. Jon Pilgeram lived those values during several air assault missions and more than 150 combat patrols, including his final voyage through the post-9/11 battlefield of Afghanistan. He also lived by "the Cowboy's Prayer," which was printed in his funeral program. This cattleman-turned-soldier died far away from the Big Sky he loved working under, but after losing his life to protect his beloved heartland, he is home with God.

I know that others find You in the light
That's sifted down through tinted window panes,
And yet I seem to feel You near tonight
In this dim, quiet starlight on the plains.

Image courtesy: Facebook

Room at the Top

Image courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

As Lona Parten stared into a sunrise atop the world's tallest freestanding mountain, she reflected upon the darkest year of her life. The last 3,000 feet of her August climb to Mount Kilimanjaro's summit took seven hours, through frigid, pitch-black conditions. Yet she was determined to equal a feat that her sons, 1st Lt. Tyler Parten and 2nd Lt. Daniel Parten, once fulfilled together.

"Come hell or high water, I was going to do it myself," Lona, 48, told The Unknown Soldiers.

On Sept. 10, 2009, her eldest son's life ended on a mountain in Afghanistan's Kunar province. Tyler, 24, was leading a platoon of the Army's 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment toward a Taliban stronghold when he was struck by enemy sniper fire.

On that terrible day, a life devoted to faith, music and concern for children ended brutally. Lona said Tyler's body remained on the hill for nearly 10 hours after his death, with enemy bullets repeatedly striking her son as fellow troops were pinned down by sniper fire.

"It is true pain ... indescribable," a tearful Lona said after recounting the dreadful details. Her voice shook throughout our conversation, on the day after what would have been Tyler's 26th birthday.

"Every fiber of your body hurts and sometimes you can't even breathe," she added.

Her surviving son, Daniel, 24; daughter Anna Laura, 20; and ex-husband Dave, 55, all wear memorial bracelets identical to the one I noticed on Lona's right wrist in a Birmingham, Ala. restaurant. The bracelets are never removed, nor are haunting images described by still-grieving members of Tyler's platoon. Yet despite his deployment's tragic ending, fellow soldiers said Tyler embraced his time in Afghanistan.

"They said he came into his own there and truly loved it," Lona said, briefly perking up. "He was full of compassion, music and love."

Tyler's private journals, which Lona treasures and has spared no expense to copyright and possibly publish, reveal that the warrior's heart was constantly aching for Afghan children savaged by terrorism, hate and war.

"When reading his journal entries, you see the pain and anguish, but then his words would end on a positive note," she said.

The words Lona used to describe what transpired in the hours and days after her family learned of Tyler's death — anger, blame, depression, screaming, crying — pierced my heart.

But like his journals, the fallen warrior's Marianna, Ark., memorial service ended on a positive note.

"My children sang, played guitar and did everything that Tyler would have loved," Lona recalled, reminding me that her son loved to play music for kids in Afghan villages.

Few American moms face a second son deploying to war after losing their first born in combat. Lona said Daniel and his wife, 2nd Lt. Tara Parten, will eventually head to Afghanistan after they complete training. Like Tyler, both are West Point graduates full of bravery, patriotism and purpose. But that doesn't make it any easier for a mother to bear.

"It is so hard to even think about him going into combat," Lona replied after I asked about Daniel. "How will I sleep? How will I deal with the phone ringing or knocks at the door?"

The light at the end of the Kilimanjaro darkness has helped Lona cope with her constant fears and deep emotional scars. She may have lost her eldest son on a mountain in southwest Asia, but she rediscovered his spirit at Africa's peak.

"When the sun came out, it all seemed better," Lona remembered. "It's not, but you have to come to peace with it."

"Something snapped: I can't continue to be sad all the time," she continued. "I'm not going to lose Tyler or forget Tyler just because I'm happy."

Perhaps the poignant closing sentence of 1st Lt. Parten's journal can comfort the loved ones of more than 4,600 American troops killed in action since Sept. 11, 2001.

"If there is anything I've learned, though, it's that the future is in God's hands."

For the families of America's fallen heroes, there is still room at the top of the mountain where one mom found hope.

COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM

Daniel Parten, Lona Parten, Anna Laura Parten, Tyler Parten

Image courtesy: Tyler Parten Foundation

Reason to believe

Image courtesy: Tech Sgt. Michael Reynolds

Spc. James Story was running some errands for his mother in Bedford, Va., when he noticed smoke above a house, billowing into the evening light. It could have been a bonfire, the soldier recently told Sgt. Grant Matthes, but as he drove closer, Spc. Story and his cousin determined that the home itself was on fire.

Instead of making a phone call and waiting for the fire department, Story and his cousin burst into the residence and woke up its three sleeping occupants.

"It took about five minutes to get them out of the house," he said.

The soldier and his relative saved three lives that day in southern Virginia. But this lifesaving Story continues half a world in Afghanistan, where the automated field artillery specialist is serving a combat tour with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3rd Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment, 18th Fires Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division.

At Bagram Air Field on Thursday, February 24, paratroopers paused to honor the hero in their midst.

"The fact that we have a Soldier in our ranks who really does live the Army values ... really is the epitome of professionalism," Maj. Gen. James Huggins, 82nd Airborne Division commander, said while presenting the Soldier's Medal to Spc. Story.

The men and women pursuing terrorists and protecting civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq are not downtrodden members of society with no other choice but to fight in war. They are the very best our country has to offer.

Until Tuesday, the stellar American roster of volunteer warriors serving in southwest Asia included Cpl. Johnathan Taylor. According to the Pentagon, he was killed on February 22 while conducting combat operations in Afghanistan's Helmand province. The 23-year-old Marine hailed from Homosassa, Florida.

The Department of Defense also reported the February 21 death of Sgt. Robert Sisson Jr. in Kandahar district. The 29-year-old Aliquippa, Pa., soldier's death is listed as a non-combat related incident, and is currently under investigation.

Lance Cpl. Andrew Carpenter, 27, of Columbia, Tenn., died February 19 of injuries sustained on Valentine's Day while conducting combat operations in Helmand province. On Monday, I will attend this fallen Marine's funeral service to show support for a family in crisis and a Marine Corps that continues to fight with honor and valor. You will be able to read more about this American hero's life in an upcoming Creators Syndicate column.

I believe in our men and women serving in Afghanistan, Iraq, and around the world. They consistently and selflessly complete their missions, regardless of political infighting back home or a national media that long ago stopped caring about America's post-9/11 conflicts. The attitude of Spc. James Story says it all: rather than wait for others to step up and save lives, he'll plunge head-first into the fire.

Gladiator

Image courtesy: Facebook

When I was a senior in high school, my primary concerns were sports, girls, parties, and video games. When 1st Lt. Daren Hidalgo was that age, he was busy paying attention to things that mattered, like the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In classrooms and hallways of his Pennsylvania high school, the graduating senior started a movement to send letters and care packages to a friend of his brother's, Lance Cpl. Richard Warner, while he was serving in Iraq.

Lance Cpl. Warner, 22, was killed on December 13, 2004 in Babil province, alongside a fellow Marine, Pfc. Brent Vroman, 21. According to the York Daily Record, Hidalgo attended Warner's memorial service, getting an early glimpse at the sacrifices being made by volunteer warriors who signed up to protect our nation in a time of war. As Angie Mason and Tom Joyce wrote, Hildago and his brothers were raised to respect their country and give something back.

"My boys all decided to go into the military," Jorge Hidalgo, who now lives in Waukesha, Wisconsin, said.

Like his older brother, Miles Hidalgo, Daren attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. His fierce commitment to West Point's rigorous academic and training programs inspired fellow cadets.

"It was Daren’s genuine leadership and passionate care for his soldiers that influenced me to stay at the Academy," a classmate posted on The Second Cavalry Association's website.

According to the Department of Defense, 1st Lt. Hidalgo was killed on Sunday, February 20 near Mama Kiriz, Afghanistan, which is in Kandahar province. The 24-year-old soldier was serving with the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, based out of Vilseck, Germany, when an improvised explosive device planted by terrorists took his life. Hidalgo's death has shocked his family, fellow soldiers, and friends.

"He is one of the few people I know of whom I can genuinely say I have zero bad memories," Courtney Gebben posted on a Facebook tribute group. "We used to write letters. I still have them all. Yesterday I spent the day just rereading them all."

"He was always so positive and happy," Gebben added. "He had such a zest for life. I will be like that."

On his Facebook page, Hidalgo listed Ridley Scott's 'Gladiator' as his favorite movie. In the Oscar-winning film, Maximus, played by Russell Crowe, utters the following quote:

"I knew a man once who said, 'Death smiles at us all. All a man can do is smile back.'"

From his days in high school, when he showed genuine compassion for our troops overseas, to his last day in Afghanistan, where he shined as a polished American warrior, 1st Lt. Daren Hidalgo always had a smile on his face.

Image courtesy: U.S. Army

'Everybody gets hurt'

Image courtesy: Roever & Associates

Dave Roever was eight months into a Vietnam combat tour as an elite Navy river boat gunner when he was catastrophically burned. His hospital stay lasted six months longer than his entire deployment, and when he finally got home, Roever knew that being alive was basically a fluke. Ninety-nine times out of 100, doctors said, the searing blast of the grenade he was carrying, ignited by an enemy sniper's bullet, would have killed him.

Roever, who will always carry scars from Vietnam, could have easily retreated into a life of despair. But Roever believes that as other brave men and women put on the same storied uniform he once did, the stakes are too great to stay silent about his experiences, especially in a post-9/11 world.

"I don't intend to go out quietly," the 64-year-old veteran said. "I want to make a difference in people's lives."

On February 2, Roever spoke to U.S. troops serving at Joint Base Balad in Iraq. In scheduling the special event, military officials thought active duty service members separated could benefit from the Navy veteran's wisdom, especially as they serve in harm's way, separated from their families. This photo, which shows a grateful American service member thanking Roever, speaks louder than words about what the 150 troops in attendance thought of the visit.

Capt. Natasha English of the Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System sent me video footage of Roever's speech to volunteer warriors in Iraq, which I embedded below. His inspiring, insightful remarks particularly apply to the military's head-on battle with post-traumatic stress disorder, which I wrote about in my most recent Creators Syndicate column.

"Everybody gets hurt," Roever said. "That's not the question. The question is how [does one] react to getting hurt?"

Dave Roever has inspired many around the world, including families and friends of fallen heroes, since he was nearly killed in action. His powerful words will help foster a new generation of spirited warriors, all of whom will work hard toward ensuring that no American who bravely serves our nation will be left behind.


Video courtesy: Sgt. Tracie Slempa

Wake up

Image courtesy: Sgt. Jesse Stence

While the eyes of many Americans remain affixed to chaos in Libya and Egypt, the struggle for freedom and security in Afghanistan quietly continues. Since Friday, the Pentagon has identified two casualties of the war in Afghanistan.

Sgt. Matthew Deyoung was killed on February 18 while supporting combat operations in the volatile Helmand province, according to the Department of Defense. The 26-year-old Marine hailed from Talent, Oregon, and was assigned to the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, based out of North Carolina's Camp Lejeune.

To the northeast in Konar province, the Army is mourning the tragic loss of Spc. Jonathan Pilgeram on February 17. The Pentagon said the 22-year-old soldier died when terrorists attacked the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), based out of Kentucky's Fort Campbell, with small arms fire. Spc. Pilgeram was from Great Falls, Montana.

As Sgt. Jesse Stence explained over the weekend, there would be more terrible news to report were it not for the valiant U.S. troops scouring Afghanistan for improvised explosive devices buried by cowardly terrorists in villages full of women and children and roads used by troops and civilians. He spoke to Cpl. Kerry Timms with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, who spends many days lying in the sand, disabling powerful IED's as sweat builds on his forehead. This is the stuff you see in movies, except it's real.

Sgt. Maj. Brent Cook said Marines in his battalion have no illusions about the daily danger they face.

"When they leave this [patrol base]," said Cook, "they know there is an active enemy who wants to kill them."

Sometimes, the Taliban and al Qaeda kill Americans and Afghans with these devices, and the results are painful and difficult to bear. But most of the time, they fail, largely due to the incredible sacrifices of volunteer warriors willing to dig through sand, mud, and garbage to save lives.

Recent events in Egypt, Libya, and other nations are important and certainly worthy of substantial media attention. But the lack of airtime being devoted to Afghanistan and Iraq, where American troops on the ground risk their lives to capture terrorists and give two countries a chance at freedom, defies common sense. The time to wake up is now.

Badge of Honor

Images courtesy: U.S. Army

After six hours of driving to and from Jordan's border with Iraq, an exhausted Maj. Gen. David Blackledge wrapped up an early dinner with fellow U.S. Army officers at Amman's Grand Hyatt on Nov. 9, 2005.

As Blackledge's group walked past the hotel bar, a man sat down and ordered an orange juice. Moments later, as the soldiers walked toward the elevators, he blew himself up.

"It was pandemonium," Blackledge told The Unknown Soldiers. "Between people trying to get in and out, and the emergency workers, it was full of gridlock."

Flashing back to a harrowing 2004 ambush he barely survived during his prior Iraq war deployment, Blackledge knew the enemy too well to believe danger had passed.

"I told my fellow officers: 'We need to get out of here,'" Blackledge said.

The general's racing heart was met by the pounding pressure of another nearby explosion, which everyone felt in their chests as they raced through Amman's chaotic streets. Despite neck and shoulder injuries, Blackledge guided his group to an Italian restaurant, where officers were promptly whisked away to a safe house.

"The pain didn't really manifest itself until the next day because of adrenaline," the general said.

When Blackledge was blindsided by this terrorist attack on three hotels, which killed 60 and injured more than 100, he was still haunted by images of the ambush in Iraq 14 months earlier, which left him in a body cast. The general was heading to a tribal meeting near Iskandariya when heavy machine-gun fire blasted his convoy.

"My translator, who was sitting behind me, had been shot in the head," Blackledge recalled in a quiet, subdued tone. "As bullets flew through the windows, I was convinced that it was all over, and the next round was going to hit me, but I was going to go down shooting."

After narrowly escaping the flipped-over SUV and diving into a nearby ditch, the general ran back toward another one of three convoy vehicles, which had burst into flames.

"I tried opening the back door, got it open and saw it was just tangled bodies and blood," Blackledge said. "Then the captain said, 'Get me out of here,' because a translator was on top of him."

When Blackledge bent down to help his comrade, he felt a crippling shot of pain through his lower back. As the general later learned, his L3 vertebrae had been crushed in the SUV rollover. He was one of five injured in the enemy ambush, which killed one Iraqi translator.

While confined to a body cast for 11 months, Blackledge realized his injuries went far beyond his shattered back.

"I was constantly reliving the ambush," the general said. "It was nonstop and kept rolling in my mind."

Blackledge, who now commands the Army's Civil Affairs & Psychological Operations Command (Airborne), admits that he returned to duty too quickly after being wounded the first time. The subsequent Amman bombings, coupled with the stress of leading men and women into battle, pushed him close to the edge.

"The thing driving me crazy the most was the short attention span and difficulty concentrating," he explained. "My wife is an Air Force nurse with three combat deployments, and she had concerns about me."

After some initial coaxing, this battle-tested military leader, who has received the Legion of Merit, five Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts since 1975, set the bar for a new, unofficial badge of honor. He asked for help.

"It was like a weight coming off my shoulders," the general said.

Blackledge, who still struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder but has benefited greatly from treatment, has an order for active duty service members and veterans. If you're hurting inside, or know someone who is, it's time to speak up.

"It's just like helping out a soldier who has a physical wound," Blackledge said. "We wouldn't stop or hesitate at that, but sometimes we're too reluctant when it comes to injuries we can't see."

While a general's nightmares about a terrorist ordering orange juice and enemy bullets piercing his SUV may never cease, the stigma attached to post-traumatic stress disorder, at long last, is beginning to fade.

COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM

Note: To read more columns like this one in your local newspaper, please ask editors to contact Creators Syndicate.

Tomorrow for today

Image courtesy: Timothy Hale

Forty-eight hours after his younger brother was killed in Afghanistan, Steven Baptist reflected on an American tragedy to The State Journal-Register.

"I never would have thought it would be Chad," he said.

Cpl. James Young, who almost everyone called "Chad," had been home in Illinois on leave just two weeks before his November 3, 2010 death stunned the community. Hundreds of people, from relatives and friends to schoolteachers, struggled to comprehend that Chad's smiling face would no longer be a fixture of Rochester and nearby Chatham.

"He was just somebody you were happy to see everyday," Glenwood High School teacher Jim Mlinar told the newspaper.

It's been more than three months since an improvised explosive device planted by terrorists killed this beloved 25-year-old soldier in Afghanistan's Kandahar province. But the men and women he served with are not finished paying tribute to Cpl. Young. On Thursday at Georgia's Fort McPherson, which is just south of downtown Atlanta, Army engineers gathered to honor their fellow soldier and friend.

Maj. Jon Miller, deputy general of U.S. Army Reserve Command, recalled the bravery and selflessness of Cpl. Young, who served once in Korea and twice in Afghanistan. In a Facebook group set up to honor Young, fellow troops echoed those powerful sentiments.

"Chad it was and always will be a great honor to have known you and stood beside you," Josh Durham wrote on November 6. "It makes my world brighter to be able to call you a friend. Instead of being missed you will be remembered for all time; we all love you man."

As demonstrated by Thursday's Army service in Georgia and a stirring tribute three months earlier in the place Cpl. Young called home, nobody has forgotten this volunteer warrior.

"Our family stood at the town square to welcome this fallen American hero home," Cheryl VanEtten posted on November 17. "It was great to be able to say a few words on the news for him. I hope that wherever you are, you saw all the love that Springfield, Chatham, and Rochester showed for you that day!"

On Christmas Eve, a friend posted a photo of a prominent billboard erected near a local parkway. "Chad gave up all his tomorrows so we can have today," it poignantly reads.

As less and less attention is paid to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq by the national media and a portion of the American public, I wish this sign could be boldly placed in the middle of Times Square and Hollywood. While Cpl. James "Chad" Young, who humbly believed that his service was "no big deal," probably wouldn't have approved of my idea, I believe he embodied the very best of what America offers to the world. Thank you, brave soldier.

Image courtesy: Facebook


Note: This is the 500th post on The Unknown Soldiers blog since launching on December 11, 2009. Thank you for supporting my work, and more importantly, for supporting our men and women serving with honor around the world.

Back in the saddle

Images courtesy: Staff Sgt. Ryan Matson

The last time Company A of 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment tried to enter the eastern Afghanistan village of Shebatkyl, soldiers and airmen were greeted with screaming gunfire and grenades exploding all around them. When the same company returned to the tiny town two weeks ago, they were greeted with chai tea by village leaders.

Army troops like Sgt. Jason Thyne, pictured above on the left, and Sgt. Adam Nielsen, right, witnessed the fruits of their hard labor on February 3. Securing this Sygal valley village was truly a team effort, as Air Force patriots like Tech Sgt. Eric Dubois, shown below on the right, fought right alongside them. All three warriors pictured are from Iowa.

After the company re-entered the village, it held important meetings with village elders and tried to figure out how to keep insurgents and terrorists far away from the town's terrified women and children. This American-Afghan partnership is critical, and many innocent lives depend on a successful strategy.

The war in Afghanistan probably won't be won or lost in the village of Shebatkyl, but the progress made by U.S. troops in this small town, which comes at great risk to the troops getting the job done, is an example of what the national press is failing to report. In any war, there are setbacks and even embarrassments. But whenever our nation's military is involved, there are many more victories than defeats. That's something every patriotic American should be proud of.

Before the spring

Image courtesy: Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson

Before the spring, crucial groundwork must be laid amid Afghanistan's winter chill. This includes shoveling snow to clear important arteries for coalition forces, like Afghan National Army soldiers did on Sunday at Daub Pass, Zabul province.

It also means cutting off enemy weapons and drugs. On Friday, more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition, 300 anti-aircraft rounds, 50 rockets, and other weapons were seized from terrorists in Kandahar. On Saturday, according to NATO's International Security Assistance Force, coalition troops found 833 pounds of heroin and 220 pounds of opium.

Before the spring, there will be more casualties for the United States and its allies in Afghanistan. NATO said a coalition service member was killed Tuesday in the north when an improvised explosive device blew up near a patrol. Military leaders believe the sacrifices of winter, while devastating and tragic, will reduce casualties in the spring, when fighting against the Taliban and al Qaeda will almost certainly increase.

"The result of all of these factors leads us to believe in the spring, insurgents will face a difficult fighting season," said German Brig Gen. Josef Blotz. "The insurgency will fight to recover lost ground and access to key population and economic areas."

Before the spring, the enemy hopes American troops will lose their will to fight. That won't happen. And as Stars and Stripes reports this morning, their commander isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

"Despite some sensational speculation by one of the London papers, I can assure you General Petraeus is not quitting as ISAF commander," [Pentagon press secretary Geoff] Morrell said, "but nor does he plan to stay in Afghanistan forever. Obviously he will rotate out at some point, but that point has not yet been determined and it will not occur anytime soon. Until then, he will continue to ably lead our coalition forces in Afghanistan."

In a January 25 letter to American troops, Gen. David Petraeus laid out a vision for the future of U.S.-led combat in Afghanistan.

"Needless to say, the Taliban and other enemies of security in Afghanistan will fight hard to prevent us from accomplishing these tasks. But, given the skill and the will that you and our Afghan partners demonstrated over the past year, I know that you -- and they -- will prove equal to the difficult tasks that lie ahead."

Before the spring, the evil brought to our shores on a fall September day will be confronted.

Image courtesy: Staff Sgt. Andrew Smith

Secret sisters

Images courtesy: Spc. Tobey White

Like a flower of light in a field of darkness, a specially organized all-female team of the 3-30th Military Police Company joined Afghan women for an important Shura, or official gathering, on February 10 in eastern Afghanistan. It was the first women's Shura held by U.S. forces in the last two years.

"The Shura is important so people know, not just Afghans but Americans too, that women are coming up, that they do have rights, are important and have a role in society," said Spc. Araceli Carrill.

The Taliban's brutal oppression of women is well-documented. Al Qaeda values women and dogs equally, as terrorists have strapped suicide bombs to both. An article by Spc. Tobey White does a good job conveying why this Shura marked a victory against an evil ideology.

"It’s important that the mission was conducted by females because the Afghan women feel more comfortable with us," Carrill said. "This way they weren’t intimidated by males."

Sgt. Priscilla Salazar said the Khost province meeting can also inspire American women serving in the military, since security was successfully handled by female troops.

"It’s hard to be a female in the military, period, so being able to come out here with no males, with only a few weeks training and not knowing the area to do this feels pretty good," Salazar said.

In addition to helping a group of eastern Afghan women, many of whom are suffering from disease and despair, these brave American women, including Maj. Rosemary Reed, pictured above, honored the female troops who served before them. Fallen post-9/11 heroes like Maj. Megan McClung, Spc. Faith Hinkley, and Pfc. Sam Huff died for the very ideals that their sisters in arms kept alive last Thursday.

It would be foolish to suggest that the brutality experienced by many Afghan women could fade overnight. But because of this successful meeting, more women's Shuras, focused on problem-solving, will be held in the weeks, months, and years to come in Afghanistan.

The female troops who risked their lives to help Afghan women hold this meeting won't get the short-term notoriety of Lady Gaga, Lindsay Lohan, or Britney Spears. Yet when history books are written, their accomplishments, thousands of miles from American shores, will shine brightest.

Tragedy and triumph

Image courtesy: U.S. Marines

"I miss him dearly," said Cpl. Jesse Raper. "A lot of guys would say he'll never be forgotten. In this case that's true with his whole squad, anyone that ever met him."

Almost two years ago, Cpl. Raper tied a tourniquet around the severed leg of Cpl. Michael Ouellette, his squad leader, as the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines battled terrorists in a firefight that began after a powerful explosion in Afghanistan's Helmand province. Despite serious wounds suffered in the initial roadside bomb blast, Cpl. Ouellette urged Marines in his squad to keep fighting, calmly directing rifle fire and calling for reinforcements.

Not long after a bleeding Ouellette made that crucial radio call, AH-1 Cobra helicopters were blasting away at Taliban positions. Marines fought off the ambush and won an important battle.

"The part he played for this ambush was phenomenal and incredible … and seriously heroic," said Sgt. Randy Moffett.

While being rushed to a medical facility following the battle, Ouellette, 28, succumbed to his catastrophic wounds. Cpl. Anthony Williams, 21, was also killed. Marines who were in the middle of that fateful March 22, 2009, battle, which is remembered as both a tragedy and a triumph, unanimously agree that several important lessons were learned.

"Every little thing we did, we had to have a combat mindset," said Cpl. Raper. "Cpl. Ouellette made sure we were tough and never weak. He was hard, and we’re lucky for that. He was preparing us."

On November 10, 2010, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus traveled to Ouellette's hometown of Manchester, N.H. He presented the fallen hero's mother, Donna Ouellette, with the Navy Cross to posthumously honor her son's gallantry, valor, and leadership.

Image courtesy: Sgt. Michael Cifuentes
Artwork courtesy: RB Portraits

"From the moment the Marines knocked on my door to inform me of Michael’s death, it’s like the Marine Corps wrapped a warm blanket around me and never took it back," said Donna. "It gives me comfort knowing that these were the men he served with. It’s like they’re my new adopted sons now."

I was still working at CNN on March 22, 2009, and still recall receiving the Pentagon casualty notice about this tragedy two days later. Not long after the American combat deaths were announced, I talked with Stephanie Ouellette, the fallen Marine's sister, who spoke of her brother's dedication to duty and sense of humor. I also received this e-mail from a dear friend, Angela Simmons.

"We all loved him dearly and are forever indebted to him for what he has done for us as a nation," she wrote. "He will be greatly missed, but never forgotten!"

The experience of communicating with this fallen Marine's family and friends helped inspire me to later launch The Unknown Soldiers blog. I never had the honor of meeting Michael Ouellette, but he still managed to touch my life.

According to an article by Gunnery Sgt. Bryce Piper, Cpl. Ouellette's unit recently returned to Afghanistan under the name Battalion Landing Team 3/8, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Regimental Combat Team 2. As Marines complete security and reconstruction missions, a key gathering point is a secluded combat outpost, pictured below, which once had no name. It is now called Combat Outpost Ouellette.

"I never really realized just how good a leader he was until he was gone," said Raper, now a team leader with 2nd Platoon, Company I. "I can look back now and see how I raise my junior Marines, and every little thing I do was the same thing he did to me, instilling strict discipline, trying to bring out the best in them. He raised great Marines. That's what he did."

The deaths of Cpl. Michael Ouellette and Cpl. Anthony Williams marked a tremendous loss for this nation. But true to form, the Marine Corps has helped us understand that March 22, 2009 also marked a great victory. Wounded and battered in a struggle against evil, the United States of America continued to fight.

Image courtesy: Gunnery Sgt. Bryce Piper

Closer to You

Image courtesy: Travis Manion Foundation

Horrific news from Iraq's Al Anbar province was still sinking in when the Manion family's phone rang in Doylestown, Pa. On the line was Brendan Looney, calling in the middle of grueling Navy SEAL training. The strong, aspiring warrior was bawling hysterically.

Earlier on that Sunday, April 29, 2007, Looney's Naval Academy roommate and dear friend, 1st Lt. Travis Manion, was killed by a sniper's bullet as he drew enemy fire away from wounded Marines. Manion, 26, was posthumously awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star with Valor for heroism and gallantry displayed in combat.

Before Manion left for what would be his final combat tour, someone asked him why he had to go back to Iraq. The Marine's response was simple, but direct: "If not me, then who?"

Looney asked himself the same difficult, poignant question as he contemplated quitting SEAL training to mourn his friend.

"(Brendan) just wanted to come back, but he couldn't leave," Travis' older sister, Ryan Manion Borek, told The Unknown Soldiers. "My parents said 'Brendan, you can't quit. Travis would never want you to quit.'"

Looney went all in on Navy SEAL training, perhaps the most physically demanding 30-week program known to man.

"He dedicated the rest of his training to Travis," Brendan's sister, Erin Looney, told me. "He would never give less anyway, but he was going to give that much more for Travis — that extra little edge."

On June 22, 2008, Lt. Brendan Looney graduated as "Honor Man" of his class. With his wedding and a deployment to Iraq just three weeks away, Looney made an emotional journey to Pennsylvania his top priority.

"When he graduated from SEAL school, the first thing he did was visit my parents," Ryan, 31, said.

Looney made it home safely from his first combat deployment and would fight overseas three more times, with "if not me, then who?" always in the back of his mind.

"Brendan never wanted us to worry or think about him being in danger," his younger sister, 23, said. "He was always going to protect us — even protect us from worrying and stressing about him being over there."

On Sept. 21, 2010 in southern Afghanistan, Looney, 29, boarded a Black Hawk helicopter with three fellow SEALs and five soldiers. The chopper crashed in Zabul province, killing all nine American service members aboard.

Erin, one of Brendan's five siblings, was sitting at work on that tragic September day, half a world from the crash site. She still mourned Travis, who "was like another older brother," when she lost Brendan.

"Our family is really close, and seeing everyone else upset is what upsets you the most," Erin said.

"The Looneys are an amazing family," Ryan, the executive director of the Travis Manion Foundation, emphasized. "They are very tightknit, like we are."

Amid dual tragedies that could tear any family apart, the Looneys and Manions came together. After Brendan's wife, Amy, said she wanted her husband resting close to his best friend, Travis' parents agreed to move their son's grave from Pennsylvania to Virginia. The heroes now rest side by side at Arlington National Cemetery.

"The ceremony was amazing, beautiful and heartbreaking," Ryan, who witnessed her only brother's burial for a second time, said.

Erin said that as kids, she and her siblings, three of whom went on to serve in the military, always wanted to hang out in Brendan's room — "the cool room" of the house. Today, she spends hours sitting in the Arlington grass, next to her big brothers in arms.

"We were so lucky to get to know them and be a part of their lives," Erin said, bringing tears to my eyes. "One is rare enough, but to have two, both brothers to you, is on a whole other level."

This new column's mission is to introduce you to the men and women who defend our freedom. As these stories arrive on your kitchen table every week, I hope you will feel as close to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as I did on Christmas morning, while bowing my head at the graves of 1st Lt. Travis Manion and Lt. Brendan Looney. Surrounded by fellow Americans, they will never be divided.

COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM

Image courtesy: Eileen Horan

Note: The Unknown Soldiers now appears in newspapers as a weekly, nationally syndicated column. To read more personal stories of our nation's heroes, please call or e-mail your hometown paper and urge its editors to contact Creators Syndicate.

Eye of the storm

Image courtesy: Sgt. Teddy Wade

The last three American heroes listed by the Pentagon as casualties of the war in Afghanistan are all from Ohio. Sadly, citizens around the Buckeye State, particularly over the last six weeks, have experienced a storm of grief that briefly lets up, only to start all over again.

Spc. Nathan Carse, 32, was from Harrod, Ohio, which is near Lima. The military said he died February 8 in Kandahar province when terrorists attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He served with the Army's 2nd Engineer Battalion, 176th Engineer Brigade, based out of White Sands Missile Range, N.M.

The Lima News reports that Spc. Carse, the son of a Green Beret, earned a master's degree in engineering from LSU. He joined the military about a year ago, out of a deep sense of patriotism and a desire to follow in his dad's footsteps.

"We come from a long line of military members. My brother wanted to continue in the family tradition," sister Kristin Purdy told the newspaper.

About two hours from Harrod is Norwalk, where Sgt. Patrick Carroll hailed from. News of the 25-year-old's death began filtering back to Lake Erie's banks earlier this week after the soldier was killed by a terrorist's improvised explosive device on February 7, also in Kandahar province. Sgt. Carroll served with the Army's 319th Military Intelligence Battalion, 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, based out of Fort Bragg, N.C.

This report in The Norwalk Reflector contains a moving quote from the fallen hero's father.

"He was a soldier through and through to the end," James Carroll told the newspaper.

About 200 miles southwest of Norwalk is the township of West Chester, which is near Cincinnati. It is the hometown of Cpl. Lucas Pyeatt, a radio operator and Russian linguist with the 2nd Radio Battalion, II Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, based out of Camp Lejeune, N.C. The Marine was conducting combat operations in Helmand province on February 5 when he was tragically killed.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Cpl. Pyeatt joined the military in 2007 and was "ridiculously" smart, scoring perfectly on his final Russian exam. Within his unit, this Marine was the center of everything.

"Everyone was his best friend and I'm not lying when I tell you that," said Lance Cpl. Lindsay Radisek of Cleveland, another linguist with the 2nd Radio Battalion. "Ninety percent of my friends (in the military) I met through him."

Losing these three American warriors is devastating to Ohio, which experienced another three casualties in January. The first two departed warriors were killed in combat in Afghanistan, while the third hero listed was lost during a non-combat incident in Iraq.

Cpl. Jacob Tate, 21, Columbus, Ohio
Pfc. Zachary Salmon, 21, Harrison, Ohio
Maj. Michael Evarts, 41, Concord, Ohio

Like all 50 U.S. states, Ohio's sons and daughters are fighting to preserve the freedom and security Americans have come to both enjoy and expect. But 2011 has been particularly difficult on the Buckeye State so far, and citizens of Ohio, especially the families of the fallen, should know that we all stand with them.

One of the most famous songs about Ohio is "My City Was Gone" by The Pretenders. While the memorable track's last line was clearly written with irony by rock legend Chrissie Hynde, I quote it to end this post without a hint of sarcasm, as we show our appreciation for the sacrifices made by heroic Buckeyes on our country's behalf.

Way to go, Ohio.

Many miles away

Image courtesy: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

"We have photographers falling all over themselves right behind me," CNN entertainment correspondent Kareen Wynter said Wednesday as her network covered a troubled celebrity's arrival in court. "This is really typical, what you can expect when it comes to Lindsay Lohan. The madness."

When I saw this quote on TVNewser, a blog geared toward network and cable news insiders, my stomach churned. Despite all the criticism of the television media's addiction to Hollywood trash, including this unforgettable, tearful footage of a fallen soldier's relative pleading for the press to notice her nephew's death, most network and cable news executives simply don't get it.

Many miles away from the Los Angeles County Courthouse, where Lohan apparently was answering some sort of theft charge (I don't know the details and I don't care), there is real news worth covering. But a Wednesday night check of the CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC websites didn't yield one single story about Afghanistan or Iraq in the site headline or top story sections. Updated, detailed Lohan stories appeared on all three. The only war-related item near the top of a homepage was this video on MSNBC's website, which shows a reporter being knocked to the ground by a car bomb in Iraq.

While I applaud journalists who cover combat and hope they all return safely, the message this pattern sends is troubling. When a reporter is in danger, it's news, but when a warrior is wounded, killed, or does something extraordinary, network and cable news, for the most part, has stopped caring.

Over the past week, the Pentagon has announced the combat deaths of four American service members in Afghanistan:

Spc. Nathan Carse, 32, Harrod, Ohio
Sgt. Patrick Carroll, 25, Norwalk, Ohio
Cpl. Lucas Pyeatt, 24, West Chester, Ohio
Lance Cpl. Aaron Swanson, 21, Jamestown, New York

Cpl. Pyeatt and Lance Cpl. Swanson were killed in Helmand province, which thousands of fellow Marines are still risking everything to secure. A recent five-day 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division (Forward)-led operation called "Big Valley," which cleared a dangerous Taliban stronghold of bombs and weapons in the southern Helmand River Valley, was greeted with a giant yawn by 24-hour cable news channels. Tragically, the immeasurable losses of the four aforementioned American heroes have also failed to generate interest on those same networks.

It's time for true patriots to yawn at the nauseating idol worship displayed by some network and cable news executives, who have abandoned journalistic principles in the tired pursuit of ratings. The Wednesday court hearing that supposed journalists fell all over themselves to cover affected nobody except Lohan, her family, and whomever she allegedly stole from, in the short term. The deaths of two U.S. Marines and two American soldiers will permanently impact countless family members, friends, troops, veterans, neighbors, and acquaintances.

Cpl. Erik Moody, pictured below, is one of the Marines who spent five long days clearing the southern Helmand River Valley of guns, ammunition, and improvised explosive devices that could have killed more U.S. troops and Afghan civilians. As he looks out into the rugged, sometimes unforgiving terrain of a war-torn nation, I hope this brave Marine knows that coverage choices made in cozy network and cable newsrooms do not reflect the hopes and dreams of a patriotic nation. We are with you, we support you, and we know that you, not Lindsay Lohan & Co., are American stars.

Image courtesy: Cpl. Ned Johnson

Note: This post was updated on February 10 at 1:02 p.m. EDT to reflect new casualty information released by the Department of Defense.

The provider

Image courtesy: Sgt. Shawn Miller

January 15 was supposed to be a special day for a Sacramento, Calif. military family. On that bright Saturday morning, Spc. Martin LaMar was scheduled to return home from Iraq on leave and finally get the chance to meet his little girl for the first time.

A few days before he was supposed to come home, Spc. LaMar learned his trip would be delayed by about a week due to needs on the ground in Iraq. While the news was disappointing to many of the 43-year-old soldier's relatives, they undoubtedly understood the demands of an overseas deployment.

But what wound up happening on January 15 is almost impossible for even the strongest family to understand. During a training mission, an Iraqi soldier opened fire on the Army's 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, killing LaMar and Sgt. Michael Bartley, 23, before U.S. soldiers gunned down the shooter. The Unknown Soldiers will write about Sgt. Bartley in the near future.

The rampage stunned fellow troops in Iraq and back at Fort Hood, where soldiers have been forced to deal with an on-base massacre, a rash of suicides, and many combat deaths over the past several years. A week after the tragic shooting in Mosul, "Long Knife" soldiers of the 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division gathered to salute their departed brothers.

Amid their own grief, the soldiers recognized that nobody is mourning this loss more than the LaMar family, which thought their hero was coming home.

"We share their grief and the incredible loss of these two warriors," Col. Brian Winski, commander of 4th AAB, said. "Their family is part of the Long Knife family, and they always will be."

Back in California's capital city, LaMar's brother-in-law spoke with local TV station KTXL-TV about the wide range of emotions being experienced by mourning relatives.

"If there was any way he wanted to go, this was the way he wanted to go, serving his country," Gilbert Alvarado told Fox 40. "That's a big honor for us, the family, I'm sure for the country, too."

According to an obituary in The Sacramento Bee, LaMar is survived by his parents, brother, sister, grandson, wife, and five children, including the daughter he was never able to hug and kiss.

"He loved his family, his wife, his kids," Alvarado told the TV station. "He was a provider."

The Austin American-Statesman reports that several soldiers, including Pfc. Kevin Gardner, Pfc. Raymond Gomez, and Pfc. Michael Grey, heroically stepped up to stop the planned insurgent attack before more U.S. troops could be struck by gunfire.

"I'm proud as hell," Capt. Thomas Herman said. "They are soldiers that did what they had to do without thinking. Everybody reacted and did their job."

In another defeat for insurgents trying to disrupt Iraq, training missions in Mosul have resumed.

"We’re going to continue not in spite of what happened; we’re going to continue because of what happened," said Winski.

Spc. Martin LaMar, the oldest soldier in his platoon, was nicknamed "Mick." That reminded me of the famous character in the "Rocky" series, memorably played by legendary actor and World War II veteran Burgess Meredith. In three films, Mick helped train and mentor a champion. That's exactly what LaMar and Bartley, who was 20 years his junior, were doing in Iraq.

"Sgt. Michael Bartley and Sgt. Martin 'Mick' LaMar embody the warrior spirit; the spirit they instilled in the Iraqis they trained, and the spirit they showed when they gave their last full measure of devotion to this ideal," Capt. Herman said.

Spc. Martin LaMar never met his youngest daughter, but because of his sacrifice, she will grow up in the greatest country in the world, always knowing that her dad, even into his forties, gave all.

Image courtesy: LaMar family/Legacy.com

From Ground Zero to Kandahar

More than 2,700 innocent people in lower Manhattan were murdered by terrorists on September 11, 2001. Nine and a half years later, most Americans still refer to the World Trade Center site, which I had the honor of visiting on April 27, 2002, as Ground Zero. To this day, I cannot get images from that sacred ground, like dolls left by children for their departed moms and dads, out of my head.

Almost seven thousand miles from New York City is Kandahar City, which many military experts now believe is Ground Zero of the war in Afghanistan. On Monday, two NATO service members were injured when a terrorist blew himself up at a Kandahar customs house. While their nationalities have not been officially released, The Los Angeles Times, which has done a better job consistently covering the war effort than most major media outlets, reports that both wounded heroes are Americans. At least one unindentified, non-military bystander was killed in the bombing, with three more wounded.

The LA Times reports that Monday's attack is the third Kandahar suicide bombing in ten days. Correspondents Alex Rodriguez and Hashmat Baktash cite the January 29 assassination of Kandahar province's deputy governor and the February 4 car bombing targeting the home of Kandahar's police chief as examples of the Taliban's stepped-up campaign of murder and terror.

Fortunately for the world, the U.S. military does not back down to thugs and barbarians. From dangerous night missions to sweeping remote villages for improvised explosive devices, more and more Kandaharians are seeing what many of their fellow Afghans already know: that their nation's real enemy is not the United States. The insurgents threatening Afghanistan are cowards who either hide in caves or behind civilians.

Whether you live in Manhattan or way out in the Alaskan wilderness, you can be proud that brave, compassionate American warriors, who believe in fighting for people who can't fight for themselves, are representing our country. No American child should have to leave mementos for their parents at the site of terrorist attacks, and no Afghan child should have to live in fear of stepping on an IED while playing in their village. At this hour, we are all Kandaharians.

Image courtesy: Spc. Breanna Pye

Note: This post was edited on February 7 at 6:36 p.m. EDT.

Real warriors

Image courtesy: Staff Sgt. Matthew Graham

For Americans who love sports, missing a Super Bowl, or being forced to watch from afar in the middle of the night, is a big sacrifice. Instead of experiencing Super Bowl Sunday with family, friends, and an unlimited supply of beer, Sgt. Kali Tackit and Sgt. Todd Christopherson, pictured above in a fun Army photo taken at Afghanistan's Forward Operating Base Sharana, will watch their beloved Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers from the middle of a war zone, as long as they are not needed on the battlefield during the game.

It will be 3:59 a.m. in Kabul, Afghanistan and 2:29 a.m. in Baghdad, Iraq when Super Bowl XLV kicks off in Arlington, Texas. Yet thanks to the Defense Logistics Agency, bleary-eyed American troops will be greeted by chicken wings, pizza, mozzarella sticks, chili, meatballs, and jalapeno poppers. At large bases and remote outposts, the cold, pre-dawn desert and mountain air outside their walls and tents will remind service members that home is far away, but still worth fighting for.

In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the parents of Staff Sgt. Justin Schmalstieg, are still in mourning. Their 28-year-old son was killed on December 15, 2010, while conducting combat operations in Afghanistan's Helmand province. I do not know if this fallen Marine was a Steelers fan, but I do know that the Steel City is known for its toughness and fierce resolve. Pittsburgh will not forget the Schmalstieg family during its time of crisis, or the sacrifice made by a hometown hero.

Cpl. Justin Cain, 22, was from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, which is about 40 miles from Green Bay. He was killed alongside three fellow Marines on October 13, 2010, while on patrol in Helmand province. Again, I am not sure whether Cpl. Cain was a Packers fan, or even liked football. But there is no doubt that he will be in the thoughts of his family, friends, and fellow Marines as Packer-mania encompasses his hometown this evening.

Fortunately, FOX and the U.S. military are making sure the brave Americans serving overseas are in America's thoughts during the Super Bowl. The Defense Video and Imagery Distribution System, or DVIDS, is conducting its first-ever HD satellite feed with Marines stationed at Afghanistan's Camp Leatherneck, in order to show Americans what our troops are experiencing during the big game. I have visited DVIDS headquarters in Atlanta, and can't wait to see what these wonderful men and women are planning to show us during Sunday's festivities.

Today is the only day of the year that U.S. service members serving in Iraq or Afghanistan are allowed to have a beer. In fact, they're allowed to have two. As we enjoy the football, music, commercials, food, drink, and friendship of Super Bowl Sunday, let's raise our glasses to the men and women who make national days of celebration possible. While the Steelers and Packers are full of extraordinary athletes, NFL players are not warriors. Our country's real heroes are on battlefields half a world away, with some watching their fellow countrymen play football in the nation they protect.


Video courtesy: Senior Airman Nicole Mullens

The big chill

Image courtesy: Fred Baker

The American media obsesses over every snowflake that falls during a typical winter. While it is important to keep people informed about the weather and help ensure safe road travel, I've been wondering why U.S. news viewers don't get more meteorological forecasts for Afghanistan and Iraq. After all, those weather conditions affect thousands of American troops on patrol, often carrying heavy gear as they confront terrorists on enemy turf.

To his credit, Tony Leys with The Des Moines Register is one of the few reporters still thinking about our troops. He filed this story on Monday about how brutal winter weather is affecting Iowa National Guard troops serving in Paktia province, which is on Afghanistan's southeastern border with Pakistan.

Fortunately, Leys reports that bone-chilling cold and heavy snow in the mountainous region, similar to the above 2009 photo, is actually helping Hawkeye State heroes stationed at Rhaman Kehyl combat outpost. Terrorist attacks have eased because of the weather, allowing our troops to spend more time with Afghan locals.

A week ago today, a villager tipped off U.S. forces to 250 pounds of explosives buried outside an empty house. Terrorists could have used the material to kill hundreds of Afghans and Americans.

"Think Oklahoma City and Timothy McVeigh," Staff Sgt. John Alberhasky told the newspaper.

We should think 9/11, as various media reports over the last few days, overshadowed by the chaos in Egypt, confirm that al Qaeda is getting closer to producing a crude radiological device that could kill thousands if detonated in an American city. Government officials and terrorism experts have talked about this scenario since 2001, often saying that a nuclear 9/11 is "not a matter of if, but when." But what has been lost, especially over the last few years, is that a dirty bomb in attack would already be a part of our nation's history were it not for the U.S. military's staggering heroism.

Soldiers with Charlie Company of the Iowa National Guard's 1-168th battalion will spend tonight 7,000 feet high in frigid air, with temperatures almost certainly in the single digits. While most Americans will be watching reporters slip and slide around icy cities and neighborhoods on the evening news, the heroes atop the cold, snowy mountains of Afghanistan will warm our hearts. Because of these brave men and women, America can weather any storm.

Image courtesy: Iowa National Guard

Through the morning, through the night

Image courtesy: Senior Airman Gino Reyes

Every morning for the past nine years, American service members have watched over the Joint Task Force Guantanamo detention facility in Cuba. Steps away from the bright blue ocean and some of the world's most dangerous terrorists, troops like Spc. Emely Nieves, pictured in the Honor Bound Guard Tower on January 7, are responsible for some of the war on terror's most sensitive work.

While Guantanamo became a symbol of ideological differences in the United States, especially in the latter portion of the last decade, the men and women in uniform there are not politicians. They follow orders, whether that means interrogating, guarding, or providing medical care for suspected terrorists, or taking the first steps to release detainees cleared by courts.

Eight thousand miles away in Afghanistan, where many alleged members of al Qaeda or other terrorist organizations were captured, volunteer warriors patrol America's post-9/11 battlefields as the sun goes down. Over the past week, the Pentagon has announced the deaths of five U.S. service members in Afghanistan. The first three soldiers listed below were killed in action, while the soldier and airman at the end of this tragic grouping died in non-combat incidents.

Spc. Omar Soltero, 28, San Antonio, Texas
Spc. Joshua Campbell, 22, Bennett, Colorado
Spc. Shawn Muhr, 26, Coon Rapids, Iowa
Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Venetz Jr., 30, Prince William, Virginia
Tech. Sgt. Leslie Williams, 36, Juneau, Alaska

Tuesday in Uruzgan province, U.S. Special Forces helped Afghan police destroy 15 improvised explosive devices that could have killed, maimed, or terrorized innocent civilians in Shahid-e Hasas district. While these stories no longer make headlines in the United States, I believe saving lives is both noteworthy and extraordinary.

As sweeping changes in Egypt rock the world community, let us not forget all the daily sacrifices being made by brave Americans serving in our military. From guard towers at Guantanamo to the runways of Kandahar Air Field, between sunrise and sunset, flashes of freedom peek through the clouds.

Image courtesy: Spc. Edward Garibay

American baby

Image courtesy: Sgt. 1st Class Pete Mayes

After my wife gave birth to our first child on Monday morning, I thanked God for allowing me to be by her side for such a precious, irreplaceable moment. A few hours later, still experiencing a dazed mixture of elation and exhaustion, I walked through a local airport, searching for a close relative who had hustled into town.

As I scanned the busy terminal, I noticed four American soldiers stop at a USO station to ask for directions. They then began walking toward me, briefly looking my way when I thanked them for their service. After we exchanged nods and smiles, I remembered that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have separated many mothers and fathers. Instead of families united at bedsides, anxious volunteer warriors serving in combat zones or faraway bases are sometimes cut off from moments like the one my wife and I were fortunate enough to experience together.

Fortunately, there have been massive technological advances since September 11, 2001, creating unprecedented opportunities to bring expecting parents separated by war a little closer together. Capt. Joseph Palermo, battalion chaplain for the 17th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, is the most recent benificiary. Thanks to Skype and the U.S. military's willingness to embrace it, Chaplain Palermo, pictured above, was able to support his wife, Katherine, as she gave birth to their lovely daughter on January 12 at Joint Base Elmenorf-Richardson in Alaska.

"I'm a professionally trained speaker, practiced in conveying complex ideas through sermons, but I found myself at a great loss for words at the moment of Anna's birth, even though I was not there," Palermo said. "That's a rare occasion for me, and that says a lot."

For a few hours on January 12, the computer screen showing baby Anna Grace lit up Bagram Air Field. Her father's smile was just as bright, even amid the darkness of war.

On January 31, our daughter was born into freedom, which I do not take for granted. Because of people like Joseph and Katherine Palermo, who are willing to spend significant time apart in order to keep our country together, American children will grow up in a nation that's second to none.