Think of those serving the country during the holiday season

“Memories from our Military” wishes all of our readers a happy holiday season and a very kind Santa. But while we’re decorating the tree, making lists, checking them twice or going about our lives with good cheer, we should take a moment to reflect on the many thousands of men and women who can’t be here, who won’t share the holidays who are spending these days an eternity from their homes and families. These are the proud men and women of the U.S. military. Military service is never easy. United States servicemen and women are often assigned far from home and asked to watch over the security of our nation from troubled locations worldwide. They’re asked to perform tasks that are difficult and arduous, calling upon a skill set that they’ve acquired through intense training. Their mission often means fostering freedoms that we take for granted to help distant people escape oppression. The risks associated with such deployments can be deadly, calling for a new paradigm in thinking and a new way of acting. While the inherent dangers might seem obvious, there are underlying threats that are present in any deployment to hostile environments. There is the deep concern one soldier has for his or her fellow soldiers and for his or her own survival. The psychological affects that accompany the loss of a comrade in combat can be debilitating even to the most hardened warrior. The adverse toll that goes along with a prolonged separation from family is also a significant factor.