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On March 19, 2003, Former President George W. Bush launched Operation Iraqi Freedom.   

 "This week marks the ten year anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq War.  While that conflict has been brought to an end, we must never lose sight of the tremendous sacrifices our brave men and women in uniform made during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn.  Every one of the more than one million service members that deployed to Iraq, often for multiple tours of duty, deserves our highest praise and deepest debt of gratitude.  They served with valor and met every challenge -- from the streets of Fallujah and Sadr City to outposts in Ramadi and Mosul -- always watching out for their brothers and sisters in arms.  

The American people will always honor the sacrifices of the 4,475 U.S. service members who died in Iraq, and the more than 32,000 who came home wounded.  Every man and woman who served in Iraq carries with them the scars of war.  As we remember these quiet heroes this week we are also reminded of their families and their sacrifices, as we also honor and thank them. 

Our reflections include the Iraqi people -- the Iraqi soldiers and police officers who died alongside our own, the men and women who were caught in the crossfire, and those who still struggle today to secure and govern their nation.  The Iraqi people will determine the future of Iraq and the United States will continue to support their efforts for a peaceful, secure, free, and prosperous nation."

In response to widespread outcry, Congress voted March 21 to restore tuition assistance programs to all branches of the military, except for the Coast Guard, less than two weeks after every branch except for the Navy announced that they would be indefinitely suspending the programs due to wide-spread government budget cuts enacted by the Obama administration earlier this month.  

The bill, which is now on its way to the White House for Presidential approval, ordered the four largest branches of the military to continue paying tuition assistance through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, minus the 9.4 percent cut required by the sequester. Congress did not provide any additional funds to cover the programs, meaning that the branches will have to make other cuts in order to keep the tuition assistance programs going. The amendment is worded as an order, providing no flexibility for the services.      

The reason the Coast Guard's tuition assistance programs were not saved by the amendment is that the amendment only applied to the defense budget. The Coast Guard's tuition assistance programs are included in the Homeland Security budget.  

Registration for the 38th annual Marine Corps Marathon begins today, Wednesday, March 27, at 12 noon EST. After a historic 2012 saw the MCM become the fastest sellout in the history of American marathon events, filling its 30,000 slots in just 2 hours and 41 minutes, anticipation is extremely high for this year's running of "The People's Marathon" on Sunday, October 27.   

Due to the speed in which the marathon will fill up, you may miss out on your chance to sign up for one of the initial 30,000 slots.  Should that be the case, don't fear, Marine Parents can help.  As a 2013 Marine Corps Marathon Charity Partner, Marine Parents has a limited number of additional bibs available for those who wish to sign up for Team Marine Parents.  Should you choose to join Team Marine Parents, in addition to the standard $99 entry fee, we require that you pledge to raise $300 in charitable donations for MarineParents.com, Inc.™ and its outreach programs.  

Beginning in historic Arlington, Virginia, the marathon route weaves through the Washington D.C. area, passing by a number of national monuments and iconic locations, including the Pentagon, the Washington and Jefferson Monuments, the WWII and Korean War Memorials, the Smithsonian, and the U.S. Capitol building. The race concludes with participants passing Arlington National Cemetery before crossing the finish line at the Marine Corps War Memorial in a poignant, emotionally moving finale.   

After crossing the finish line, runners will have a finisher's medal placed around their neck by a Marine and will then have the option of having their photo taken in front of the Marine Corps War Memorial.   

After receiving their finishers medals, participants will proceed to the hospitality area, where they will be given a "Post Race Recovery Meal" consisting nutritious, easily digestible food to help speed up the recovery process, such as pretzels, fruit, and hummus.   

For those who want to experience this great race but are unable to participate in the actual running, as well as those participants who want to keep the festivities going after the race ends, there will be a "Finish Festival" in Rosslyn from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm.  The festival will be held near the finish line, and will include food from local restaurants, live music and contest giveaways.  A beer garden, sponsored by Michelob, will be providing beer for participants who are over the age of 21 and have a valid photo ID.  Each runner's bib will have a tear-off coupon on it, good for one free beer.   

We encourage you to check out America's most patriotic marathon and see for yourself why, in just 10 short years, this race has exploded into one of the five most popular marathons in the country and one of the top 10 in the world.