"It is safe to say that my soldiers will be working on Christmas Day," Aldenberg tells MassNews. "As military police we are responsible for the Force Protection of all soldiers on the base. It is a 24/7 operation."

Aldenberg says he joined the Army "because it was the right thing to do. That may sound like the standard reason but for most soldiers that is why he or she joined the military," he says.

"The soldiers under my command are the ultimate 'citizen soldiers,'" Aldenberg tells MassNews. "There have been a lot of sacrifices made in the last 15 months, but my soldiers have not complained once about being tasked with back-to-back missions," he says. "They realize that they have to do their part as did the thousands of soldiers who have served before them."

Aldenberg and those under his command "greatly appreciate the support that has been provided by our families and our employers," back in Massachusetts. Reservists in the military often have to leave their civilian jobs on very short notice.

"Our families have had to adjust greatly as well in the last 16 months and they have all done a great job of holding down the fort," says Aldenberg, who is from Lynnfield, Massachusetts, but now lives in New Hampshire. Aldenberg's wife Karen runs a Family Support Group jointly with Leslie Davidson, who is married to First Sergeant William Davidson.

The support group has monthly meetings and recently held a Christmas party "that was a huge success and was great for the kids," Aldenberg tells MassNews. At these meetings, information is given to the families on "the doings over here," as he puts it. This is also an opportunity for the families to have any needs, such as pay problems, addressed.

The 972nd Military Police Company can trace its history to World War I, when they were organized in April 1917 as a battery of field artillery in Gloucester, Massachusetts. They earned six campaign honors in that war as Battery A, 102nd Field Artillery, 26th "Yankee" Infantry Division. When the unit was converted to military police in 1975, its name was changed to 972nd Military Police Company. For service in the Gulf War, the 972nd was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation and three campaign honors. Since 1994, the unit has been headquartered in Melrose.

The 972nd served 8 months at Logan Airport from October 1, 2001 until May 1, 2002. "My unit has been very busy since 9/11," Aldenberg says.

"My message to those back home," Aldenberg tells MassNews, "would be that it is important for all to remember that there still American soldiers serving overseas in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and that the war on terrorism is far from over."