What soldiers are afraid of

This is a portion of a letter posted on Redstate.com from a soldier in Iraq. Most of the soldiers and Marines that I've talked to are not politically minded and keep their opinions to themselves. Their views are varied and sometimes even liberal. They all have opinions on the campaign in Iraq. But they all agree with this soldier's view:

"With that said, WE believe in our mission. Lord knows I don't want to die in the God-forsaken desert. On the other hand, I accepted that possibility when I raised my right hand and swore an oath.We are succeeding here, it is slow, it is painful, and it is costing the lives of American Soldiers. That is not the standard by which we judge. We do not count the bodies in the way that the media does, because we know they aren't numbers. Each time we hear of one falling, we bow our heads and say a prayer, or we stand at attention and render a crisp salute to their sacrifice. Our standard is victory, and although it is not as easily defined in this conflict as it was in the past, that makes it no less valuable or attainable.

We watch the news. We know what the left thinks of us. Erick has it right, the left wants us to fail, no matter the cost. The President and I want us to succeed, no matter the cost.
If you truly care about the lives of soldiers, then honor the sacrifice they make. A soldier's greatest fear is not of dying, but of having the sacrifices he or she makes rendered meaningless by surrender. "