Heroes

I spent the breakfast hour in the company of heroes and their families this morning.

The scene was the Military Science Building on the Arkansas State University campus and the occasion was the sendoff of the 200 or so members of the 1037th Route Clearing Company. These are the people who have the daunting task of disposing of roadside improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and they're being deployed to Afghanistan. They left this morning for a few weeks of training, preliminary to their shipping out to the combat zone.

This is the second or third deployment for most of the troops, but this time it's an even heavier burden for their families. This time the breadwinners are being yanked away in the middle of a deep recession and this time they're serving a commander-in-chief who often seems to care more about the enemy than he does his own troops. What was once a clearly defined mission has been muddled with waffling and indecision. And still, they answer the call to put their lives on the line for their country.

That's a level of sacrifice and patriotism I find humbling beyond words.

I'm honored to be able to use my camera to help tell their story.