It is holiday time here in the states, and your families, your friends and your countrymen are all thinking of you and wishing you well.

At Christmas, Chanukah and Kwanza, we pause from our workday routine and reflect on the importance of personal bonds, on the comfort of faith, and on the gift of life itself.  We especially think of you – all of you who are working so hard to build stable societies in Iraq and Afghanistan.  This year, we will gather once again, and your absence will be felt.  We feel grateful for your sacrifice and your dedication to defend freedom in lands that have never known it.  Your commitment, your valor and your sacrifice are keenly felt and deeply appreciated every day of the year.  Thank you for all that you do.  Our thoughts and our prayers go to you and your loved ones and we pray that you return home safely and soon. 

Happy holidays!

Ed Markey