One Airman’s Reaction to Keeping More Troops in Afghanistan

— -- Capt. Taylor Valentine, a Mississippi native, is now wrapping up a six-month tour with the Air Force in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Valentine, who graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2006 is a bachelor who says he loves life on deployment and is set to return in November for his fifth tour. This comes as President Obama recently decided to extend the United States’ military mission in the country.

“When I heard the announcement from the President I was actually relieved and a little bit jovial because I think what we’re doing here is a noble effort,” Valentine told ABC News' Martha Raddatz in Kabul.

“They still need that advise and assist assistance from us, so hearing that we're going to maintain a little bit of a heightened presence here I think is only a good thing for both the Afghans and the rest of the world.”

During a press briefing on Oct. 15, the President announced that the U.S. will maintain "5,500 troops at a small number of bases, including at Bagram, Jalalabad in the East, and Kandahar in the South,” though he does not support the idea of an endless war.

During his deployments, Valentine has suffered his fair share of loss. On his first deployment, his close friend 1st. Lt. Roslyn Schulte was killed by an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). Valentine, an Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician, also said that many EOD technicians have been killed since the onset of the war.

Valentine adds, “For the people that say what are we still doing here, I would tell them that we are providing the people of Afghanistan- and not just Afghanistan but people of the world- safety and security, which I think everyone is entitled to.”