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what in the hell good this is doing anybody to have him in combat anymore. But as long as the docs say he is good to go, he is going to fight because that's who he is and that's what he does. And as much as I hate it, I admire it so much that it makes me shake.

The day before he left, we didn't talk much. There isn't much left to say at that point. But I spent that day with him because wanted him to have something to look back on, something to sustain him when things became unbearable and lonely and bleak. Because based on his emails and the stories of others I know who have been there, most of that time spent deployed is a soul-crushing, crippling loneliness. And even though I say I understand, there is no way that I can because I have never been there. But in my own mind, I cannot tolerate the thought, that brave men (and women) who put themselves out there to fight and protect us, who are forgotten in the media and popular culture, they are doing what they have to do all the while feeling abandoned and miserable and alone, and that's on a good day. Then there are the times of sheer terror.

I choose this kind of life. I choose to be part of it, no matter how drama-filled and intense it may be. I choose this kind of man because of the content of his character and I choose to try to deal with the consequences that come with it. I choose to try to be patient, to endure the withdrawal of affection, the confusion and pain because it's worth it.

So when I'm asked why why soldiers this is the only answer I have: because they're worth it.

Learn more about this author, Eileen Lunardi.
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