Operation Home Front lends a hand to local soldiers

Businesses in Clifton Forge are providing special services to members of the Virginia National Guard Unit Bravo Company.

As soldiers prepared to deploy to Iraq Tuesday in Lexington, one local veteran pitched in his services to help.

Chuck Almarez and his business partner Glen Bryant came up with the idea of offering professional portraits of the service members and their families.  Service members can watch their kids and their families change during their tour of duty.

The images will be posted on the Fire and Light website later next week.

Almarez is a Vietnam verteran, and says he wanted to give back to the local service members.