They are us, yet they are better than we will ever be

Midwest Heroes has a new commercial running. It can be viewed here. The latest commercial lets us hear from family members of some who lost their lives in Iraq. It puts faces to the families behind the statistics. For every news report that condenses the heartstopping terror and confusion and exhilaration of combat to a brief notice that a soldier or Marine was killed, there is a family made up of people just like you and me who are left to struggle with the loss.

The people in the commercial speak with dignity and grace. Because they have lost loved ones in Iraq, will the Maureen Dowds of the MSM ascribe absolute moral authority to these families, as she did to Cindy Sheehan?

Merrilee Carlson, the mother of Army Sergeant Michael Carlson, said this:

And thank God there were people like Michael, who would put their lives on the line for the rest of our country and our world.

Joani Kelly, the mother of Marine Lance Corporal Bryan P. Kelly, had this to say:

But we have made progress over there. You can't tell me that Bryan didn't make a difference.

We take so much pride in our soldiers because we know they came from us. They are us. At one point, they were little boys riding bikes through our streets, tossing footballs, swinging out on ropes over slow moving rivers. And then, they volunteered for a job that would put them in harm's way, and this society trained them, took their courage, lit a match to it, and turned them into the most lethal fighting force the world has ever seen. They are Americans, the best of America, and we should care deeply about what happens to them.

Each day they drive out the gates of their forward operating bases, they are patrolling for us. Each firefight, each pursuit, each search, is done on our behalf. We've sent them. If we truly support them, we'd pray fervently for their success, for it is also our success.

The Left is blind to the progress our military has forged in Iraq. As I've written about here, here, here, here, and in many other posts, the progress is there for all to see.

So, before the lions of the media like Nick Coleman spit out their dentures when they see this new commercial, and again condemn it as propaganda (and therefore untrue), here are some more reminders of the progress that is being made in Iraq, little by little, day by day.

From the Feb 13 issue of This Week in Iraq:

Iraqi and U.S. Soldiers were also attacked with a combination of small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire while extracting the weapons cache, but quickly defeated the insurgent attack.
....
The Iraqi Soldiers performed courageously, employing the proper search techniques while maintaining security throughout the long mission.
....
Iraqi
Soldiers held the attackers at bay, as a patrol from the 3rd HBCT arrived, killing two of the gunmen. Three Iraqi Soldiers were wounded in the fight and taken to an area hospital.
....
The coordination and cooperation between the 5th IA Division and the provincial police ensured that the village received the supplies they needed as rapidly as possible. The successful mission shows that the Iraqi Security Forces are capable of helping their fellow Iraqis in their time of need.

In another article,

The Iraqi Army recently planned and executed its first nighttime air-assault operation, resulting in the capture of 19 terrorists who were being trained to conduct attacks on pilgrims participating in the Shiite Muslim holiday of Ashura, said Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, Multi-National Force - Iraq spokesman.

The Iraqi Army is not at a point where most of their forces can operate completely independently, but they are gaining capabilities and taking the lead. The Iraqis still need logistical, artillery, close-air and airlift support from the coalition, but the important thing to note is how much of the land they are controlling, he said. "It's exciting to me that we've reached the point where that much of Iraq is controlled by the people of Iraq," he said.

From Gen. Casey,

The ISF continue to take the lead. In addition to superb security during Ashura, ISF were involved in nearly 70 percent of the missions conducted in January. They are increasingly taking battlespace, too. In September 2005, the Iraqi Army had two brigades and 19 battalions that were leading operations in a few districts of Baghdad and some areas just south of Baghdad.

As of January 2006, the Iraqi Army consisted of two divisions, eight brigades and 37 battalions and provides security for several provinces and portions of other parts of Iraq. In the next month we expect the Iraqi Army to take over even more responsibility across Iraq. The Iraqi Army is not the only one taking on security responsibility. In this "Year of the Police," the Iraqi Police have security responsibilities for parts of Baghdad as well and, like their Iraqi Army counterparts, their responsibility for security will continue to grow.

Iraqis continue to take control of their own space.

The 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division is the latest Iraqi unit to gain control of its own battlespace. The unit commander, Brig. Gen. Ali Mullah, accepted the responsibility of protecting the area, south of Mosul, during a transfer of authority ceremony with a unit from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team Saturday. "The terrorists are taking their last breaths and the end is near…there is no place for them [to hide]," Mullah said. His troops now maintain security from Qayyrah to the Mosul-Baghdad highway.

From Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch,

Four months ago across Iraq, only two brigades and 19 battalions controlled battlespace. This is where they owned a piece of Iraq, and they had the lead in counterinsurgency operations.... so there was an area southeast of Baghdad and in portions of Baghdad as well.

Today, two divisions, eight brigades and 37 battalions are now controlled by the Iraqi Security Forces. In green is where they control battlespace. Inside of Baghdad, they continue to control more and more space, to include the Iraqi Police....

So if you can compare those two graphics, what it looked like in September and what it looks like now, you can see significantly improvement on the part of the Iraqi security forces in their ability to control battlespace.

FrRom the Feb 3 issue of Scimitar:

Since Jan.2005, the Mosul Police improved department leadership, and public trust. Training predictions indicate that the Mosul Police Department will have 100 percent of their members academy trained by mid 2007.

The significant progress in security makes improvements in government and the economic sector possible. In Nov. 2005 Coalition Forces started the first Provincial Reconstruction Team in Nineveh Province. The team is composed of civilian and military advisors and subject matter experts to help build the capacity of provincial government to improve areas of governance, economy and rule of law.

The recent success in Mosul over the last year is a testament to the bravery, determination and pride of all Mosul residents and the government officials who lead and serve them.

The Iraqi Army continues to grow,

Twenty-five-year-old Iraqi Army 1st Lt. Hussin, who’s been a Soldier for five years, smiled at the thought of a promising future for Iraq and the hopes of defeating terrorists which plague his country. When asked if he thinks whether the country
will divide or remain together he responded, "Together, but not just Iraq … all of the world."

Despite the presence of insurgents throughout the country, Iraqi Soldiers are hopeful their training will help rebuild a peaceful Iraq. With assistance from Coalition forces, the growing Iraqi Army continues to recruit and train men.

The Army was developed under the Iraq Ministry of Defense after the 400,000-man army of ousted dictator Saddam Hussein was disbanded. The Army is nearly 100,000 troops strong, but the goal is to have 135,000 properly trained Soldiers.
...
Confident in their training, the two Iraqi instructors are proud to don their uniforms, although they fear for their lives. "There are too many terrorists out there, but we don’t care," said Hussin. "It is our duty and we have to work on that. This is my country. If I don’t fight for it no one will."

There are rebuilding efforts all over Iraq,

Marines assigned to the 6th Civil Affairs Group, 2nd Marine Division, prove there is another side of the story to tell as they continue to carry out their missions within Al Anbar province, the largest province in Iraq.

"The stories that we don’t hear enough about – the good news stories about making lives better and a nation stronger – that’s what the civil affairs Marines do every day in Iraq," said Col. Paul Brier, commanding officer, 6th CAG.

The group arrived in September to help rebuild the infrastructure and assist in facilitating the transition into a self-governing people.

"We’re helping the people of Iraq, and I honestly believe it’s come a long way from
where we were," said Sgt. Richard F. Litto, team chief, Team 3, Detachment 4, 6th CAG. "Schools have been built, roads are being repaired, water supplies are coming back into the neighborhoods, and people are actually smiling at us. That’s pretty good."

Medical care and aid are being given,

From July 2005, in terms of humitarian missions, Polish Soldiers distributed to Iraqi 1,500 school items, more than 1,500 pounds of food, more than 2,000 shoes, nearly 3,800 pounds of clothes, 12,000 toys, and 9,700 pounds of hygiene products.
....
The care and hard work the medics put into the small community clinic has not gone unnoticed. It is a continuation of the work they did in south Baghdad. Many of the sheiks and tribal leaders from Mahmudiyah, Yusifiyah and Lutifiyah have visited the
108th Armor Regt.’s battalion commander.

"Our commitment is to leave our area of operation better than we found it," said Lt.
Col. John King, commander of the 108th Armor Regiment. "Being a good neighbor and taking care of them is security for the Iraqi people. They are perplexed as to why we do what we do and ask nothing in return. We are happy simply to do the job that
the Army pays us to do and the Soldiers seem really excited about doing something
positive."

The families of the fallen know all too well what their loved ones paid for. To Joani Kelly and all of the families, we can say with confidence progress is being made, and we do thank God for each and every one who serves.

It's not too difficult to find heroes. Wherever someone is standing up to killers, terrorists, torturers, brutes, wherever someone is fighting oppression, and bringing hope to the dark places, you'll find heroes. Thank you, Progress for America, for reminding us of our heroes.