For America’s Service Members, Memorial Day Is a Lifetime

Captain Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Fla.; Sergeant 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Neb.; Sergeant 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minn.; Sergeant Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa; Major Jeffrey R. O’Brien, 45, of Waukee, Iowa; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, Calif.

These are just a few of the American service members recently lost in combat operations in the Middle East. As the conflict grows more unpredictable — and with no clear end in sight — the deployment of ground troops remains a possibility. Right now, military families across the country are watching closely, living with a level of uncertainty most Americans will never experience.