U.S. Army Pfc. Mike Kistler stands next to his grandfather, Ted Kistler, in the social room of R.W. Fritzinger VFW Post 7215, Walnutport, picking out familiar faces in a photograph of a platoon of soldiers in Afghanistan.

A few minutes later, they join Mike's father, Jeff Kistler, and other family members by the brightly lit Christmas tree in a corner of the room.The three generations of Kistler men share a proud tradition: All are U.S. Army veterans.Ted Kistler enlisted in 1961, serving in Germany during the Berlin Crisis. Jeff Kistler enlisted in 1984.Mike Kistler, 23, of Lehigh Township, enlisted on May 6, 2012. He is a member of Company A, 101st Airborne Division, based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky."My grandfather, father and my uncle were in, and that played a role, and it's service to my country. I feel everyone owes their country, so I see this as part of my payment back," he says.Kistler was a member of the Second Platoon, Sapper Beast, which scoured roads in war-torn Afghanistan for improvised explosive devices, vehicles that may be rigged with bombs, and suicide bombers."We were engineers, doing route clearance. We'd drive around and we make sure there are no roadside bombs, any suicide drivers or suicide vests," he says.He asks to send Christmas wishes to his friends who are still deployed."I hope they make it back safe," he says.Kistler graduated from Parkland High school, graduating in 2010. His mother, Kathy Kistler, is grateful for the all-too-brief visit."It's going too fast," she says at a party held Saturday at the VFW post to celebrate Mike's visit home.She chats with relatives at the end of a long buffet table laden with homemade foods, everything from meatballs to potato salad. Ted Kistler, keeps busy, lugging in containers of food and seeing that everyone has a bite.The room fills with Kistler family and friends, all there to see Mike and celebrate his return on Sept. 27 from Afghanistan.The post gave Kistler free membership for as long as he serves, said Post Commander Carl Ellis."We're just happy to have him home," he says.But the festive atmosphere is tinged with sadness. Kistler has been home on leave since Dec. 8 and will head back to Fort Campbell on Jan. 4.Kathy Kistler was among those VFW members who put together packages of snacks and toiletries for her son's platoon, which the organization "adopted."The packages include snacks, beef jerky, sunblock, lip balm, coffee and even Girl Scout cookies donated by local troops."They did a fundraiser, they had a little get-together, they sold tickets. Everybody donated," she says of the ways the VFW raises money for the packages."Every time we'd get one, it was a reminder that we had people back home thinking about you who cared," Kistler says. "Whenever you opened one, you'd have something you liked that wasn't anywhere near you. Every time you open one, it reminds you of the better things you are there for, to protect and remember."Mike Kistler says the packages "were a morale booster for the whole platoon. We'd put them in the truck, and when we were out on mission, we could have a little snack. It was better than MREs."The MREs are prepackaged meals provided for soldiers in the field.When he was deployed, he especially missed potato chips."Whenever we'd get one, we'd sort it out among the platoon. I'd always try to get the chips. We shared," he says with a smile.Bruce Jones, a retired Marine and Vietnam veteran, is a past commander and current quartermaster of the post. He said the VFW has adopted three military units over the past 10 years, and is poised to adopt another."We adopt the whole unit. We send them stuff the government doesn't give them," he says.The care doesn't stop with the packages. If a soldier needs help after coming home, the VFW is there."When we adopt these units, we adopt them forever," he says."If they have hardships, we will help them out. It's really a good feeling to be able to help. It's the least we can do for what they're doing for us."