Periodically, I send an updated Charleston, Illinois-to-Kirkuk, Iraq map to Brian so he knows where we are and can follow along with our progress. Our mileage is marked off in tiny footprints every 300 miles. He posts it above his bunk, next to the newspaper clippings. Fellow soldiers come by to follow the progress. “It makes me feel like I’m not forgotten and that people still care about us over here,” he says via e-mail, adding that it’s hard to overstate the value of such support.

‘If you’d like to share some miles with us just fill our the form below and we’ll be happy to add your miles to our total.”