Thanks, Neal.

Last June I believe it was, Neal left his family to begin training for an extended deployment to Afghanistan. He spent three months away from his family, returned home briefly, and then departed for the other side of the planet to serve his nation. Today, Neal came home.

Even as I type, I imagine the kids are still bouncing off the walls and the laughter won't subside until deep into the night. Daddy's home.

Neal's a pharmicist tech by trade. Who totes an M-16. And wears kevlar. There was a time that the Air Force's combat personnel consisted almost exclusively of its officers for they were the pilots and weapons officers and navigators. Not any more. My friend, the pharmicist has seen more life threatening situations in his last five months than I have now seen in twenty-three years.

Thank you, Neal, for serving our nation. Thank you for taking care of your family like a man so that they would be prepared to handle life without you for such a long time. Thank you for your sacrifice.

When I got their family Christmas pictures, I wept. Trish got herself all spiffied up and got the kids to all smile at the same time. It was a picture that was sent to lots of folks, but it was a picture truly intended for just one man. Her man. Neal, Santa-hat and AF shirt, returned his photo. Together they melded into the richest family portrait I have ever seen.

Thank you, Trish, for serving our nation. You have sacrificed immeasurable in allowing your man to travel to far away lands for something greater than yourselves. You knew the risks. You knew that life apart for the better part of a year would be harder than most anything you've had to deal with. Thank you for your sacrifice and for being an example of trusting the Lord to be for you what your husband could not in his absence.

A mutual friend of ours, Stephen, just returned from Iraq. His daughter was a babe when he left in August of 2006 if memory serves. He returned home just before Christmas. Stephen, Ashley, thank you for the incredible burden you shouldered on behalf of our nation.

Justin recently left his wife Heather and two children for the same pinpoint on the map where Neal found himself. Joshua, young man of eighteen, just left his mom, dad, brothers and sisters for Iraq.

In honor of my friends who have served, in honor of the men and women who continue to battle the forces of darkness on foreign soils, I would like to encourage you all to read Thomas Paine's small pamphlet titled "The Crisis." It bolstered and rallied a nation during the bleak winter of 1776. Our fight is a long way from ending. We must not give up. Here is the first paragraph of "The Crisis" in honor of Neal, Stephen, Justin, Joshua, and all those who are currently sacrificing so much on our behalf:

THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated. Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to TAX) but "to BIND us in ALL CASES WHATSOEVER," and if being bound in that manner, is not slavery, then is there not such a thing as slavery upon earth. Even the expression is impious; for so unlimited a power can belong only to God.

The punctuation above is as Paine wrote it.