Santa Claus greets U.S. Army soldiers on Forward Operating Base Clark in Afghanistan on Dec. 25, 2013.

This photo reminds us of the sacrifices still being made by almost 10,000 U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan and many more who are deployed around the world. On this Christmas Eve, we pray for them, along with their families here at home. We can enjoy the holiday season in relative peace because of the incredible sacrifices being made by our nation’s military community.