incredibly warm welcome will happen along his hometown there as he makes his way to the funeral home and then finally his resting place. you know, i told you, we're marking nine years that the u.s. has carried out combat operations in afghanistan, and it's a long measure, not only for the military personnel risking their lives, but the families back home dealing with the sacrifices of their own. our jason carroll is going to take you inside one such home where loved ones struggle for words. boy, we've heard that a number of types, jason. >> reporter: i know, kyra. you've seen it many, many times. it is a hard part of deployment for soldiers. sergeant first class randy shorter has had to say good-bye many times because he served on multiple deployments but saying it doesn't mean it gets any easier.