Let's remember everybody during the holidays - including those in harm's way

As the holiday season begins, we remember not just friends and family. In this post-911 world, we remember the 140,000 men and women who are serving in harm's way in Iraq and Afghanistan.

They're the soldiers who have to worry about whether they'll see their families again when they drive on some God-forsaken road through the heart of Baghdad, where some garbage can, road sign or even a person attached to an IED could blow up in their face.

And we remember that, hopefully, they will come home from that experience and live a life that is much like the one they lived before - though, so far, evidence has pointed to the contrary.

Suicide rates among soldiers and ex-soldiers are skyrocketing. The military, to its credit, has tried its hardest to avoid a post-Vietnam situation and give soldiers post-service care as way to ward off post-traumatic stress disorder and other illnesses.

So far, that hasn't been entirely effective. This space published the photo of the "Marlboro Man" last week, whose picture became a symbol of the Iraq conflict when it ran in newspapers across America in 2004.

Now the soldier has returned home to Kentucky, where he battles the demons of post-traumatic stress, according to media reports. The man in the photograph is James Blake Miller, now 21.

So it's worthy to note that the Department of Defense recently took additional steps to review what has happened to these soldiers, and what more can be done in the future so they return home to lives of comfort - not lives of horror.

The Department of Defense has formed a congressionally-directed task force to examine matters related to mental health.

"This is an extremely important effort involving a collaboration of DoD, federal and private sector experts in mental health," said Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary of defense for health affairs.

The Mental Health Task Force is comprised of seven DOD members and seven non-DOD members. It has already made assessments for improving the efficacy of mental health services provided to service members.

"High on the list will be steps for improving the awareness of the potential mental health conditions among service personnel and ways to improve the access and efficacy of our existing programs," Winkenwerder said.

Let's hope they do.