CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind.—For many, Veteran’s Day is nothing more than a chance to sleep in, a day off from work or time for barbeques, but for Alaska Army National Guard Soldier’s returning from Afghanistan, the meaning is much deeper.

Soldiers of B Company, 1^st Battalion (Airborne), 143^rd Infantry Regiment returned to the United States Nov. 8, following a year-long deployment to Afghanistan where they conducted security forces missions throughout dangerous areas of Afghanistan to ensure the safety of provincial reconstruction teams who are rebuilding the war-torn country.

Spc. Zachary Sparks, of Eagle River, who was able to deploy to Afghanistan with his brother, said that deploying and seeing first-hand the challenges that Soldiers have faced in the past, makes coming home in time for Veteran’s Day even more special.

“Coming home from this deployment and being a combat veteran of the United States military gives me a whole new outlook on what Veteran’s Day means,” Sparks said. “Now I understand what Soldiers, who came before me, went through and the real meaning of the holiday, which is to honor all Soldiers who have made sacrifices for the freedoms we have today.”

Returning Soldier Spc. Coleman Wenke, of North Pole, comes from a long line of military men and women and said that while Veteran’s Day has always been a part of his life, it holds more meaning now because he has walked in the shoes of his ancestors.

“My great-grandparents, my grandparents and parents were or are still in the military,” Wenke said. “Veteran’s Day was always a big part of my family, but I think it’s more significant now because I now have a better understanding of the sacrifices that they had to make for our freedoms. The significance of sacrifice on Veteran’s Day is huge, it means people have died for our freedoms, and that’s something we should never forget.”

Alaska Army National Guard Cpl. Daniel Thornton, of Wasilla, who has served in multiple wars and gone on many deployments, feels that regardless of whether a Soldier has been deployed multiple times or not, the fact that they knowingly volunteer to serve and protect the United States and her freedoms is something to honor.

“I think Veteran’s Day is significant to all of us, especially those of us that have served in the past,” Thornton said. “Every Soldier that wears the uniform understands that deploying is something that we may have to do. We are willing to give up our lives to fight for the American way of life and know that it’s a possibility every time we extend or enlist, but we are willing to take that chance because we love our country.”