Remembering American Soldiers in Barack Obama's Christmas Message

Barack Obama, the President of the United States, delivered a message to the American people late on Wednesday night, Christmas Eve, which was devoid of political issues except for one instance. In his message, Obama noted that the U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan would soon come to a responsible end, stating that this holiday is a time for reflection on the sacrifices made by military families. The U.S. President continued, 'We are able to gather with our families because our service members are willing to leave their families and be deployed.' Michelle Obama, the First Lady, who was alongside the President, also expressed hope that these days would be a time to overcome differences and bring families, friends, and neighbors closer together. The U.S. military mission in Afghanistan is set to conclude at the end of 2014 (January 10), with only over 10,000 American troops remaining in the country for training and advising Afghan forces, a number that will be halved by the beginning of 2016. In the 13-year war in Afghanistan, which began after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda on the United States, more than 2,000 American soldiers lost their lives.