[December 24, 2014] Exactly a decade ago on Christmas Eve 2004, a little east of Baghdad Iraq, there were handful of U.S. Army Engineers sitting with me; all inside a small, lonely Combat Outpost far from any large troop base, eating a hot meal of turkey and dressing. With their Infantry brethren from the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Calvary Division, they wore their full body armor and with weapons at their side they prayed that all their comrades would return to their families unharmed. Let us today remember our troops, police, and firemen this holiday season.
The month of December is filled with holidays that have their roots in human history from long ago. Wintertime seasonal holidays have been associated with religiously linked holy days for hundreds of years: Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali, and many more. While most of us will be taking time off from work, there are many who cannot – like members in that small outpost in Iraq. In fact, it is important to be especially vigilant and that is where our military troops, police, and firemen will be on guard, protecting us.
Thank them for doing those difficult things and for them being away from their families while the rest of us experience our time off in peace. Surely each of us knows someone who serves in the military, police, or fire department that needs to be thanked. That little encouragement means a lot to them. That is leadership on a small scale, where exercise it can make a big difference.
We salute them all.
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[Special Note] There are many who will be working their jobs on this Christmas Thursday. Some do it because they have to support their families; others do it because they chose a profession that needs people like them. Whether you are a nurse, grocery clerk, taxi driver, hotel staff, flight attendant … we will see you going about your duties and think, wow, this is something special. They all contribute to help make us safer and better. Thank you.