This is my fiance Lt. Nicholas Bajema who is serving with the U.S. Army, 82nd Airborne, 5-73 CAV in Baquba, Iraq. He has been there since August 2006 and just recently was promoted from 2Lt. to Lt. His family and I are so very proud of him and the strength he and his fellow soldiers have had over the last 11 months. This is his first deployment and although he is from Seattle, we met while in college at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz. and we both often joke that it's a good thing he went to college in the desert to know how to deal with the 100-degree plus heat! We all miss him dearly but are overwhelmed with pride for him and his fellow soldiers.

-- Tessa Hill of Gilbert, Arizona

My husband serves with the 2/325AIR as their chaplain. He goes out with the troops to be there if needed. He is a listening ear for the injured and hurting. He helps to provide for the spiritual needs of our troops while they fight for the rest of our freedoms. He is my best friend, a wonderful father to our two great boys and the love of my life for the past 17 years. We miss him but believe we are all right were we are needed at this point in time. No picture but a big thank you to our chaplain assistants who protect and help our chaplains everyday. We love you and counting the days until you are home again.

-- Angela Gilliam of Fayetteville, North Carolina

My hero and I met last year on MySpace while he was deployed in Iraq. During that time, I got a unique look into a soldier's life away from home. After long days of patrols and missions, Drill Sargeant (Allen) Murphy -- then a Staff Sargeant -- would log into Instant Messenger to ask me about my day. Often, I would start complaining about the 90-degree weather, my children's behavior, or how I had hurt myself by stubbing my toe before I would return the question. His answers would give me a much-needed reality check: days when 120-degree temperatures were considered a mark of "good" weather, realizations of missing his children and realizing their next hug would be two years from their last, gratitude for not being injured when a IED hit his truck (yet again).

During the past 18 years, Allen has served his country in many different capacities -- including a 1991 Desert Storm deployment, a deployment for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and a year-long deployment to Iraq in 2005-2006. Most recently, he has fought along side of the other soldiers in the 2nd Platoon Easy Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 506th Infantry of the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, KY. Soon, his duty will be performed as a Drill Sargeant to train others to defend our country. He is my soldier, my best friend, my love, and my hero.

In this picture he is getting ready for patrol in his Humvee, a.k.a. "Pork Chop Express", on February 16, 2006.

-- Rosemarie Stanton of Clarksville, Tennessee

Spc. Marcus Tiller is serivng in Iraq in South Baghdad, he is a paratrooper in the Amry's 82nd Airborne stationed in Fort Bragg, NC. He has been on this deployment for a year now and will be coming home in November. His passion is golfing and looks forward to pursuing that as a career and getting a businesss degree, with his return. He is from Orange City, FL, and moved to NC after joining the Army. I cannot wait until he returns. I love and miss him more and more everyday.

This photo was taken at the Lowes Motor Speedway last 4th of July in Concord, NC.

-- Brittany Ramey of York, South Carolina