U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Samuel Coston, a native

U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Samuel Coston, a native of Teachey, N.C., pulls security during a patrol near Combat Outpost Charkh in Logar Province, Afghanistan, Aug. 17, 2012. Coston is the 51-year-old senior enlisted advisor for the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, and serving with the 173rd’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company in eastern Afghanistan. During this patrol, Coston was injured with shrapnel that hit his left foot and cut one of his toes in half. While he had the option to not return, his loyalty to the unit brought him back to Afghanistan after three operations and 65 days. “I was offered a couple of jobs while was recovering,” he said. “But, you’ve got to remember your loyalty to your unit, whether your unit is the 173rd, the 82nd Airborne Division, the 1st Ranger Battalion, your loyalty to the unit is loyalty to the Soldiers.” (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael Sword, TF 173 Public Affairs)