Trees need trimming. Gifts need wrapping. Cheer needs spreading. At this time of year, it can be easy to overlook the sacrifices made by United States Troops overseas. While WWE offers its support the finest way it knows how, by entertaining our brave men and women, even Superstars who trek to the deserts of Iraq can forget just how dangerous the situation can be. Unfortunately, there are many stark scenarios on hand to remind them.

"One thing that sticks out most was hearing the gun shots outside the base in Tikrit at Saddam Hussein's palace," recalled Shawn Michaels, one of the many WWE Superstars who made the day-long trip. "I asked the [troops] what they were. Obviously, part of you knows full well what it is, but grasping the reality that they go through every day, it's overwhelming."

Overwhelming… and more than a little humbling. HBK said that his Iraq experience helped him remember that while his in-ring antics can be hazardous, they're rarely life-threatening.

"In this line of work, you can fool yourself a little bit [thinking that you're tough]," said Michaels. "Truth be told, these guys are the real deal."

Not that WWE crews were completely out of harm's way. The tour took the staff to the Forward Operating Bases -- FOB's -- on the front lines.

"There was always a base somewhere where one of the soldiers asked, ‘What the hell are you doing here? Don't you understand you're in the middle of a war? Get the hell out of here,'" said Triple H, who insists he'll keep going back as long as there are troops in Iraq.

"The troops aren't really looking for someone to thank them; they just want to be appreciated."

The Herculean effort made to move WWE's production crew and equipment overseas may take hours of manpower and logistical planning, but the troops are hardly the only ones benefiting from the experience.

"It may sound corny," said Michaels, summing up his feelings, "but it made me proud to be an American."