Since 1984, the Armed Forces have set aside a special day to honor the heroes at home -- the men and women who support their military spouses.  This year, Friday, 11 May 07, has been designated military spouse appreciation day.

FALLUJAH, Iraq - Fluorescent lights hum inside the brightly-lit, air-conditioned room located within the Fallujah Development Center. The occupants of the room shake hands and offer greetings as they take their respective seats before their meeting transpires.

There are numerous ways in which the Marines of 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment help to provide security and stability to the Iraqi people. They conduct security patrols, joint operations with the Iraqi Security Forces and vehicle checkpoints, to name a few. These constant operations net scores of suspected insurgents every day and make the streets safer for innocent people.

CAMP FALLUJAH: Dear Families and Friends of RCT-6,

Our Nation is at war - our Corps is at war - fighting a determined enemy bent on terror and domination. Make no mistake, it is a war we must win! Success by the enemy will dramatically change the world as we know it, leaving a harsh environment for our children and grandchildren to endure.

We Americans believe instinctively in the power of positive thinking. Whether one is fighting a cancer, an insurgency or just an unyielding problem at work, the prevailing wisdom is that thinking positive is the key — The Secret, even — to success. But the key, it seems to me, is actually negative thinking: looking for, and sometimes expecting, failure.

RAWAH, Iraq – At the edge of the Euphrates River, on the outskirts of the prospering, valley town of Rawah, Iraq, 10 Marines and a lone corpsman have positioned themselves atop a small hill to provide a better way of life for the local civilians. For one Marine corporal, it is his duty to lead, delegate and look after his squad of warriors while they oversee the daily progress of Iraqi Police operating roadside checkpoints, controlling the entrance to a town full of markets and businesses.

ENCINITAS, Calif. — At a community hospital here, doctors and therapists are working to help Marines overcome what is often called the signature injury of the Iraq war: brain trauma with no visible wounds..