When I told my mother I was joining the Army, she asked me why. She said that it wasn' a question of if I would be sent to Iraq, but rather a matter of when. She said that American Soldiers are dying there and that some are losing limbs. She asked me if I clearly understood that it could happen to me. I said,"Mom, when I wake up in the morning and look in the mirror, I want to be proud of the face looking back at me". Her response,"Well then, your Dad and I will support you 100%." WE, the American Soldiers, are proud of what we see in the mirror each day and of the job that we are doing here. We are blessed to have the American people; particularly those who support projects like Operation Shoebox support us. Thank you and all the volunteers for all of your support. Hopefully, if things go as planned, I'll be home with my family and friends in Raritan for Christmas. PFC Francis J. Provenzano, Jr. The pictures of are me with Iraqi children and my squad.