I'd seen this piece before and it was to the writer's broader grasp of the lesson I really leaned into. The lesson learned was a great one and I felt like the whole base learned from it. At the base where I work our Wing Commander made a point of sitting down with all of the children and spouses of those off fighting in Afghanistan and told them that they were heros too. A couple of us old vets sitting in the back had to get up and leave - choked me up the sincerity with which he talked to these folks. Coming from a space where my generation was called other things it has really filled me with pride to see the sacrifices made by the rest of the crews and families acknowledged.

Heros are all around us - and sometimes facing bullets is the easy part of life. It's how we deal with life after those intense moments that provides us the opportunity to really define our character.

It is very nice to see this thread here. For you all are also heros.

Steve