Out of the thousands of US troops now serving on active duty, the press chooses a select few to put a face to our troops.  The men pulling down the statues of Saddam in Baghdad, Jessica Lynch, and Pat Tillman are but a few.  It simplifies things and brings the story down to a micro-level, to, as the media puts it “bring the story home to the average American.”  It also leaves out scores of men and women serving in uniform today.

But it does raise the question:  Who are our soldiers?  Well, chances are that you know one of them.  It could be your plumber, your mailman, or your child's first grade teacher.  Maybe your minister or your barber or that clerk who always smiled at you in Walmart.  Maybe the guy who runs that website that you always use, or the college kid down the street.  The point is, with over 140,000 Reserve and National Guard troops now activated, you probably know someone who is serving.  So remember their faces, and their families.  And remember, the news media doesn't need to bring the story home to you -- chances are that you are already a part of it.