** FILE ** U.S. Marines fire at Taliban positions, during a firefight in Nawa district, Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, Friday, Oct. 2, 2009. (Associated Press)
Long-Awaited Award: Former Army Capt. William Swenson received the nation's highest military honor during a White House ceremony Oct. 15 after a lengthy battle in Afghanistan in 2009 and an even longer fight with Pentagon red tape. (Associated Press photographs)