Thoughtfully, sensitively and insightfully written. I despise the toll that war takes on those who must wage it. I am none too fond of those who make the decisions to engage our country (or any country) in it, but I honor you, and your compatriots who serve because your country called on you to do so. As an anti-war activist it is hard to make the distinction to many people that we are against the war itself, not the people caught up in doing the bidding of their country, especially when the enemy is something as scary and depraved as al Qaeda or ISIS. No doubt there are those who join ISIS because they fear there is nothing as scary and depraved as us, our culture, and our way of thinking. The saddest thing is that the people manipulating the wars are never really the ones to pay the heaviest price.