Lt. Jeff McFarland helps Spc. Chad Prindle line up a putt on the third hole of an improvised golf course at a temporary camp in western Kuwait. McFarland is from Hamilton. The Associated Press

1st Lt. Jeff McFarland is a 2000 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. He is the son of Paul and Pam McFarland of Liberty Township.

His parents write:

Our son 1st Lt. Jeff McFarland is with the Army's 3rd Infantry Division (Mech), A Co., 3rd Battalion, 7th Regiment in Iraq. He attended Lakota Schools, graduated from Hamilton High School in 1996 and the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2000.

Following graduation, he spent a year at Fort Benning completing various training courses including Ranger School. He finally arrived at his permanent post at Fort Stewart in Savannah, Ga.

A year later he was deployed to Kuwait. He left two days before Thanksgiving and was at Camp New York (named after 9-11) very close to the Iraqi border. He's a platoon leader with four Bradleys and 35 soldiers whose lives he is more worried about than his own.

Jeff has been well trained, loves his country and is in our thoughts and prayers every day until he returns safely home.

God bless him and God bless America.