Praise earned: President Obama was right about one thing -- troops deserve credit

In his speech announcing his plans for a drawdown of troops in Afghanistan, President Barack Obama pointed out a fact that many people forget to remember when they are talking about the success of the operations in the Middle East.

Forget the planners, the presidents, the bureaucrats and publicity-hungry politicians.

The people who deserve the credit for the advances that have been made are the men and women of the U.S. military.

We hear many of their stories -- some sad, some inspiring and all an example of why the United States has one of the best fighting forces in the world.

These young men and women have sacrificed time with their families to make sure that this operation is carried out efficiently and with honor. And they have done a stellar job of doing just that.

Many of them say they are there to finish the job for those who lost their lives while serving their country. Others say they joined to be part of the response to Sept. 11, 2001.

All of them are heroes -- as are the families who are holding down the fort while they are away.

President Obama is right. We have reason to be thankful that we have them fighting for us.

Published in Editorials on June 23, 2011 10:53 AM