If you think Black Friday shopping is the most important thing happening during the week of Thanksgiving, think again.  American troops are still in Afghanistan and other hotspots around the world.

BE THANKFUL. “Sky” Soldiers with the The 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team take a moment to celebrate Thanksgiving at Combat Outpost McClain, Logar Province, Nov. 22, 2012. (Photo by Sgt. Roland Hale)

Bob McCarty is the author of “Three Days In August: A U.S. Army Special Forces Soldier’s Fight For Military Justice,” a nonfiction book that’s available in paperback and ebook via most online booksellers, including Amazon.com. His second book, “The CLAPPER MEMO,” is set for release this fall.