As the "War on Terror" wages forward and the U.S. occupation of Iraq continues, one thing is clear—war is an ugly thing.  Regardless of your personal, political, or religious ideology or views, war is inherently messy and we are too often reminded of the potential baseness of mankind.  Indeed, it never ceases to amaze me how much pain and suffering there is in the world wrought at the hands of those individuals who lack basic human civility and are sometimes blatantly evil.    

However, this incident is also a reminder of the potential humanity and great service that is being performed by the servicemen and women of this nation and its allies.  Despite the constant dangers they face, men and women of honor continue to put their lives on the line in an effort to help the best they can and ultimately strive to make a difference for good. 

There is certainly ample room to critique the foreign policy and military efforts that have come about the past 6 years under the Bush administration, but regardless of whether you are Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, or for or against the war, we must show our gratitude and admiration for those serving their country, and specifically in this case for those servicemen who unwearyingly performed their duty, and in-so-doing, were in a position to save the lives of the 24 boys in the orphanage.