1,000 military casualties in Iraq

I've made no secret of the fact that I am no fan of war in general or this war in particular. And while I have focused on the civilian deaths in the past, the very reason that there have not been many more deaths (on the scale of the Congo) is because of the professionalism of the US forces - these are not the meandering barbarians of ages past, but a well trained army of principled men and women who attempt to obtain the political objectives of their civilian leaders with as little spilling of civilian blood as possible. They do their country proud.

We should mourn them as well. They have given their lives in the service of others, doing the work others have tasked them without complaint, with many other wounded and crippled vets giving up the ability to have normal lives when they return. The grief of their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons, and daughters should be our grief as well.