While most Americans are celebrating the holiday season at home or with family, Marine Chief Warrant Officer Llewellyn D. Clayton, stepson of Mabel G. Clayton Peachtree City, is scheduled to spend the holidays deployed to Iwakuni, Japan, with Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 121.

Clayton is one of more than 65,000 Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen who are serving our country separated from their families and loved ones this holiday period. Clayton is working abroad to preserve peace as part of our nation's forward defense forces. Clayton's squadron is deployed to Iwakuni under the Unit Deployment Program. Under the program, units based in the United States come to Iwakuni for six months to train. From Iwakuni they can deploy to other countries in the Pacific.

Clayton's squadron flies the F/A -18C Hornet, a twin-engine supersonic strike fighter which features an all-weather intercept, identify, destroy and ground attack capability. The 1975 graduate of Uniondale High School of Uniondale, N.Y., joined the Marine Corps in February 1978.

While most Americans are celebrating the holiday season at home or with family, Navy Petty Officer first class Christopher A. Marks, son of Robert and Brenda Marks Peachtree City, is scheduled to spend the holidays deployed to the eastern Pacific Ocean aboard the USS Fife, home ported in Everett, Wash.

Marks is one of 65,000 Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen who are serving our country separated from their families and loved ones this holiday period. Marks is working abroad to preserve peace as part of our nation's forward defense forces.

Destroyers, like Marks' ship, have traditionally been the workhorses of the U.S. Navy, defending battle groups against threats from land, air, above and below the sea. Equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and Sea Sparrow missiles, USS Fife is capable of hitting enemy targets hundreds of miles away. In addition, Marks' ship carries two helicopters with sonar and torpedo capabilities, expanding the ship's reach.