In 2011, Marine Lieutenant Karl Kurbikoff was sent on his first deployment to Afghanistan.His wife, Lisa, was at home taking care of their son, Alex, while pregnant with their second child. The United States military had been active in the country for almost a decade, but by 2011 was beginning to draw down its forces, with some 10,000 troops due to pull out by the end of the year. During the many months he was away, Karl wrote Lisa a letter.