This piece was featured in The Detroit News as well as the Detroit Free Press. I wrote it 3 days after the massive Detroit Red Wings celebrations.

Approximately 1 million hockey fans flocked to downtown Detroit to celebrate the Red Wings’ Stanley Cup victory last Friday. Yes, the Wings won the Stanley Cup. Yes, they’re a terrific team. But do they deserve all that attention? How many of the devoted Wings fans have traveled to the airport to greet and thank a group of homecoming soldiers?

Regardless of how you perceive the war, how often have you prayed for the troops? Our brave troops have been wounded, some killed, and most have witnessed the murder of a close friend.

These men and women are our true heroes. These men and women don’t get paid $30 million to play a game. They love their country and are willing to fight for it. They risk their lives every day for us. But when a soldier returns home, his friends and family members typically greet him or her alone.

As a 16-year-old Detroiter with two family members fighting overseas (one in Baghdad, one in Kuwait), I am flabbergasted that we worship professional athletes but ignore those who have sacrificed so much.

Congratulations to the Detroit Red Wings. But a much bigger congratulations and heartfelt thanks to our soldiers, who keep us safe. God bless you.