President Barack Obama was sworn into office Tuesday, but we know this. Parties were thrown, T-shirts were made, classes were released early and some students even made the trip to Washington, D.C., to witness history, but we know this, too.

What most of us do not know is that only five days before the parties began and history was made, 295 Dyess airmen were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

These men will bring the number of Dyess servicemen deployed to 745, said Tech. Sgt. A.C. Eggman, public affairs for Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene.

Two hundred more men are expected to leave within the next couple months, bringing the total close to 1,000 from Dyess.

Many students have a personal reason to care about the troops. If not, consider the fact that Dyess Air Force base is 13.9 miles from our campus, meaning the men and women who are sent overseas are part of our community. We see them at church, we stand behind them in line at Wal-Mart and we even take classes with them. Their deployment inevitably hits close to home for the ACU community.

We need to remember this. We need to remember this while we’re living our lives in the “Abilene bubble” and our main concern is rehearsing for Sing Song.

We need to add the deployments to the list of prayer requests in Chapel and put as much energy, passion and support toward them as we did the election.

These men and women should be on our lips as much as President Obama and his plan to end the war in Iraq and bring troops home within 16 months.

Both Obama and military personnel are eagerly and voluntarily facing international controversy from a nation divided in its political views.

Both Obama and military personnel have pledged allegiance to a term of service and are undoubtedly wrestling with fear, anticipation and anxiety, but Obama has been the one receiving the entire nation’s attention.

It is our obligation as a student body to remember those from Abilene who were deployed less than a week ago – facing dangers most of us declined in favor of college. It is our obligation as citizens to humble ourselves, accept our differing political stances and respect the fact that Barack Obama is the president.

It is our obligation to be mindful that we may have a new president, but that does not mean those troops can come home now, or that we can stop praying for them. A new plan does not change the situation for those hundreds of people leaving Abilene this month.

The election hype is over, and it is time for us to look around and notice the faces missing from Abilene.