Some of them slept in beds in barracks. Some of them slept on cots in tents. Some of them slept on the floor of warehouses. Some of them stayed up all night on guard duty.

Waking to their Christmas morning, for some, already has happened. It came in Old World time zones while Santa has yet to place presents under Christmas trees on our side of the globe.

The American military remains engaged in a war in Afghanistan. Other soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines are posted in places such as Germany, Korea, Japan, Kuwait and Italy, among others.

Some of them don’t get Christmas trees, especially ones in the Middle East. If they do, it’s probably a fake tree inside a secured zone and away in the corner where only Americans will encounter it. Santa probably sent his gifts in the mail earlier this month.

Perhaps on this day they are playing football in the desert sand with platoon buddies right now. They could be driving a truck from one town to another right now. They might be catching up on sleep or doing laundry in a bucket.

Or maybe they are sitting down to a special Christmas Day dinner. For some, it is a steak dinner with mashed potatoes, fixed by the battalion cooks. For others, it is a Meal Ready to Eat or T-rations. And for the rest it is something in-between and probably bland. They won’t get grandma’s apple pie or mom’s stuffing. They won’t see the excited eyes of the children in their family on Christmas Day.

But they will celebrate Christmas, and they will do it in his or her own way.

Be sure to think of their sacrifices while we enjoy our blessings during this holy time of year.