A clear reminder of the risks the Military takes is that fact that more than 4,000 people have died fighting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It's been six years since Drew Foster served in Afghanistan, but he still carries the memories, both good and bad. He showed us pictures of his tour back in 2002 to 2003 including one of his fellow soldiers carrying one of their fallen comrades to a Black Hawk helicopter.
"The worst would probably have to be just the soldiers that I know that didn't get to come back home," said Foster.
He says their primary mission in Afghanistan was collecting intelligence on insurgence.
He was with the 82nd Airborne and says he joined the army because of a deep seeded sense of patriotism that goes back to his childhood.
Foster said, "It goes back to playing little league as a kid and just the pride that I had putting my hand over my heart and saying the pledge of allegiance. I love my country and I wanted to serve it."
While his tour has come and gone, the war continues and with Independence Day coming at the end of a week that saw more troops mobilize in Afghanistan as others withdrew in Iraq, foster says people should be proud of our troops no matter what their political views.
“Regardless of whatever got us into this situation, our men and women are there and they're risking their lives every day," said Foster.
Former NC National Guard Chaplin Harry Grubbs says we should not only remember the troops but also their families back home.
"They know that their loved one is in a place where they can be killed at any time. That’s got to be stress,” he said.
Foster says, "It definitely is the greatest experience of my life so far and I’m very proud of it."
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