http://moneysaver.comSome families today received the best Christmas present they could ask for — their loved ones back home with family, safe from duty.Last Christmas, Penny Wansten said she thought about her son Ryan a lot.Late Saturday night he came home for the first family Christmas since 2003, after a 15 month tour of duty in Iraq.Ryan Wansten was in Iraq and went out on missions on Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas that consisted of what he calls, "driving down the road, trying not to get blown up."On Monday Ryan was playing with his new puppy, Elizabeth, on the lawn of his family's Apple Valley home, with his "only the good die young" tattoo visible on his forearm."I'm really proud of him and how he volunteered to stand between us and harm's way." said his mother Penny Wansten.Ryan Wansten looks very comfortable at home, a nice change from showering every three days in Mosul where they saw snow in the winter and temperatures reached 145 degrees in the summer.And that's not all.Wansten, 23, and his 1st Infantry Division, 111th Engineer company took small arms fire, Rocket Propelled Grenades and sniper rounds on a daily basis.While driving route clearance missions, Wansten's vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device on four separate occasions.He suffered a concussion and hearing loss.But for the next 30 days he will be home with his family."Most of the time I really didn't care," Ryan Wansten said of the dangers he faced. "I knew I was going to get hit."Petty Officer Third Class Martin Thompson Jr., 25, of Apple Valley, stepped out of his Navy fatigues for the last time two weeks ago and is home celebrating Christmas with his family as well.Three years ago today, Thompson was in Hong Kong set to be deployed to Iraq for six months.The next day a Tsunami struck Indonesia, killing more than 225,000 people in 11 countries.He was immediately deployed to the area and spent 50 days straight at sea, providing relief to victims of the disaster."It's surreal," Thompson said of being back home. "I'm just having a good time."Martin Thompson Sr. is very proud of his son. He thinks that fishing dead babies and bodies out of the ocean in the aftermath of the Tsunami bothered his son more than the thought of going fight in Iraq.Martin's mother Cindy is thrilled to have him home.Gretchen Losi 12/24/07 Do we need this? "There was a time that I felt the boys needed to go fight for us," Cindy Thompson said. "But they don't take good care of our boys in the military."Martin said he is just having a good time while he's home and was planning a Christmas Eve party where he could visit with friends and family who hadn't seen him in months.For other families it is the last Christmas before their loved ones are deployed.Michael Campos Sr. and his wife Kathy were able to have a family dinner with their 19-year-old son Michael Campos Jr. before he had to go back to Colorado for training. He will be deployed to Iraq in early 2008."Whether you're a Democrat or Republican, the bottom line is, we're in battle and we need young men over there fighting," said Michael Thompson Sr., of Victorville, who added that he is proud that his son is one of those men, but is also worried.Be it coming home from service or getting ready to be deployed, the state of national and foreign affairs plays a role in the lives of those in uniform.Sometimes it's easy to forget that something as big as the war in Iraq strikes such a chord with these and dozens of other families throughout the Victor Valley.The stories that Ryan Wansten and Martin Thompson Jr. tell serve as a reminder that the sacrifice they and their families made are very real.The Campos' are hoping that Michael will stay safe, while the Wanstens are hoping that Ryan will not be called for a second tour in Iraq.All of them are overjoyed that they got to spend time with their loved ones this Christmas.

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