KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Black Friday , Toys for Tots turns East Tennessee Marine Reservists into Santa's helpers.

But about 3 dozen members of Company D, of the Fourth Combat Engineers; are weeks away from their first steps toward deployment in Afghanistan.

"They may be twenty-somethings, in college, or they might be working on your local or construction site," says Staff Sergeant Neal Fischer.

"But keep in mind, they're combat veterans."

"We can't afford what we're doing over there, says U.S. Rep. John "Jimmy Duncan (R-Tennessee)

I"t's cost us hundreds of billions of dollars and I don't think it's worth one more American life."

Congressman Duncan says he supports the troops, for following the orders as given.

What's adrift, he believes, is the mission itself.

"To prop up a government everyone says is corrupt. They feel like we have to spend fortunes to withdraw--I think it's a very simple thing."

He knows, many if not most of his fellow Republicans in the House and Senate, couldn't disagree more.

"The only way to win wars is to break the enemy's will," says U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona).

"You don't break his will by announcing when you're gonna withdraw!" Why would the Taliban negotiate seriously with us, when in the view of General (Stanley) McChrystal, the situation is deteriorating?"

"The strength of the Taliban has been greatly overblown," Duncan says.

"It's a very small force, with very little money."

Those fighting, or about to, have the most at stake short term.

But ask Staff Sergeant Neal Fischer--this most loaded of political questions --about the viability of the mission:

"I can't comment on that, I'm sorry," he says.

Duncan says the war already has cost American taxpayers $400 billion. Additional forces, he believes, will leave us unable to pay our veterans pensions-- or medical bills, or for civilian Medicare.

"They'll start withdrawing some of those troops a year from now,: he says.

"They'll announce that with great fanfare, but you can be sure we'll be there for several more years."