Unless you know or are related to someone in the armed services of this country you have little connection with them. By this I mean, they are employed by the government in Ottawa and not by you directly. Furthermore, any decisions about how those armed services might be deployed are very much out of our hands as mere inhabitants of this country. As a matter of fact, a significant fraction of this country's population, me included, have vigorously opposed the use of this country's government forces in fighting roles in Iraq, Afghanistan or elsewhere. I believe that the notion that they are somehow protecting us from terrorism is folly. Why then would I be in any way obliged to honour their participation in the bloodletting in Afghanistan? To all of them I would rather say, avoid combat and come back, safe and sound, as quickly as you can without getting a jail sentence.