For Tom and Lauren Nelson, being married has been a thrill. But it has also presented challenges; only days after their July 2005 wedding, Tom's Army career led him far away and into danger in Afghanistan. Tom, 23, is an infantry officer in the Army's 82nd Airborne Division. And that has meant that the usual adjustment period for newlyweds also included a four-month deployment in Afghanistan, while Laurel stayed behind in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The Nelsons talk about the difficulties of maintaining a marraige over the phone and the worry on both sides when a spouse is deployed in a war zone. The experience has forced Lauren and Tom to adjust and change. As Tom says, "When people thank the military soldiers, they should also thank the wives, and the family."

For Tom and Lauren Nelson, being married has been a thrill. But it has also presented challenges; only days after their July 2005 wedding, Tom's Army career led him far away and into danger in Afghanistan. Tom, 23, is an infantry officer in the Army's 82nd Airborne Division. And that has meant that the usual adjustment period for newlyweds also included a four-month deployment in Afghanistan, while Laurel stayed behind in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The Nelsons talk about the difficulties of maintaining a marraige over the phone and the worry on both sides when a spouse is deployed in a war zone. The experience has forced Lauren and Tom to adjust and change. As Tom says, "When people thank the military soldiers, they should also thank the wives, and the family."