Ashley Fredrickson

They are the backbone of our country's relations with the world.

They put their lives on the line almost every day for the sake of our freedom.

They are the men and women of the United States military.

There are five areas of a military career. The Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Each serves a very specific and important role.

The Army is the ground force, and consists of two components, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard. The Army conducts both the operational and institutional missions for our military.

The Marines are the "warriors." These are the men and women on the front line. The Corps serve as the most aggressive force on the Military line.

The Navy's mission is to protect and maintain the freedom of our seas.

The Coast Guard protects the public, the environment, and the economic interests of the United States. It is based on the ports, in the waterways and along the coast.

The Air Force protects the U.S. sky through aerospace power and, as it is said on its homepage, "Global Vigilance."

Devoting your life to the Military does not leave much time to slack off. Former Vietnam Soldier, Alan Brown, explains, "We woke up everyday at 4:30, had breakfast, went to classes, then to training. We would take our tests, clean our guns and then went to bed at 9, then we started the whole day over again."

If Brown could send a message to the Soldiers fighting today, it would be, "Keep the faith, take one day at a time, be safe and keep focusing on coming home."

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