A reminder of who’s making the real sacrifices for this country.

US soldiers of the Viper Company (Bravo), 1-26 Infantry, take their positions during a house to house search in the Sabari village, in the Khost province of eastern Afghanistan, on June 19, 2011. Sabari district is one of the most volatile in Khost province which borders on Pakistan and is seeing a rise in coalition offensive against highly active insurgents. (AFP PHOTO/TED ALJIBE)

US soldiers of the Viper Company (Bravo), 1-26 Infantry, take their positions during a raid in the Sabari village, in the Khost province of eastern Afghanistan, on June 19, 2011. Sabari district is one of the most volatile in Khost province which borders on Pakistan and is seeing a rise in coalition offensive against highly active insurgents. (AFP PHOTO/TED ALJIBE)

US soldiers of the Viper Company (Bravo), 1-26 Infantry, take their positions as they search a house for weapons during a raid, at a village in Combat Outpost (COP) Sabari, in the Khost province of eastern Afghanistan, on June 19, 2011. Sabari district is one of the most volatile in Khost province which borders on Pakistan and is seeing a rise in coalition offensive against highly active insurgents. (AFP PHOTO/TED ALJIBE)

US soldiers of the Viper Company (Bravo), 1-26 Infantry prepare to load mortar found in a river bed at a village in Combat Outpost (COP) Sabari in Khost province in the east of Afghanistan on June 19, 2011, believed to have been used a night before to fire on the outpost. Sabari district is one of the most volatile in Khost province which borders on Pakistan and is seeing a rise in coalition offensive against highly active insurgents. (AFP PHOTO/TED ALJIBE)

US soldiers from Viper Company (Bravo), 1-26 Infantry hold a briefing prior to a patrol at Combat Outpost (COP) Sabari in Khost province in eastern Afghanistan early June 19, 2011. Defense Secretary Robert Gates confirmed June 19, that US officials were involved in preliminary talks with the Taliban to seek a political solution to the Afghan war but said he didn’t expect significant progress for months. (AFP PHOTO/TED ALJIBE)

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Leuschen, platoon sergeant, 1st Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division, Iowa National Guard, and a native of Panama, Iowa, watches the back of a house that Afghan national security forces are searching in Ruwquiean Village, Afghanistan, June 9. ANSF led the village search as U.S. forces provided security.

Soldiers from 1st Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division, Iowa National Guard, patrol outside Ruwquiean Village, Afghanistan, June 9. First Platoon provided security for Afghan national security forces as they searched the village for weapons and persons of interest during a week-long operation in Jaji District.

U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Patrick Hendrickson, platoon leader, 1st Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division, Iowa National Guard, and a native of Pleasant Hill, Iowa, takes cover in a wheat field as he moves his platoon into position before moving into Ruwquiean Village, Afghanistan, June 9. Hendrickson’s platoon provided security for the Afghan national security forces as they searched houses for weapons caches around the village.

US army SFC Alex Kenrick of the Viper Company (Bravo), 1-26 Infantry examines a mortar round found in a river bed at a village in Combat Outpost (COP) Sabari in Khost province in the east of Afghanistan on June 19, 2011, believed to have been used a night before to fire on the outpost. Sabari district is one of the most volatile in Khost province which borders on Pakistan and is seeing a rise in coalition offensive against highly active insurgents. (AFP PHOTO/TED ALJIBE)

US army SFC Alex Kenrick (R) of the Viper Company (Bravo), 1-26 Infantry carries a mortar round found in a river bed at a village in Combat Outpost (COP) Sabari in Khost province in the east of Afghanistan on June 19, 2011, believed to have been used a night before to fire on the outpost. Sabari district is one of the most volatile in Khost province which borders on Pakistan and is seeing a rise in coalition offensive against highly active insurgents. (AFP PHOTO/TED ALJIBE)