The ceremony is over, the flag has been cased and U.S. combat soldiers will be out of Iraq within two weeks.

A grateful nation now turns to thanking the 1.5 million Americans who served there, including the 30,000 who were injured and the 4,500 who died.

Today, we salute them all, as well as their families.

But Americans should not think the Iraq war is completely behind them.

Thousands of American soldiers are still dealing with the physical and psychological scars of war. They will need care and support for many years.

Then there is the toll the war has taken on military families. It is difficult to imagine how young families with children endured the months and years of anxiety without damage.

A war changes the people who fight it, as well as the families who remain at home. Reunification is difficult, and we owe our veterans and families support as they struggle to sort out their lives.

Then there is the important obligation we have to help these war veterans find jobs. That may require helping veterans obtain occupational training or higher education.

The GI Bill helped millions of young Americans returning from World War II, Korea and Vietnam receive skills they might otherwise never have received. Those men and women went on to build the strongest economy in the world.

Our returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans represent the most disciplined and highly trained fighting force in the world. Many have made life-or-death decisions and were given responsibilities far beyond their years.

Fighting an insurgency is dangerous, complex work, often requiring soldiers to be peacemakers, negotiators, building contractors and city managers.

Many of these men and women can now be focused, motivated employees any employer would welcome.

The true outcome of the Iraq war won’t be known for years. The country still suffers from bitter ethnic and sectarian divisions. It is rife with corruption and will be subject to meddling from surrounding nations, particularly Iran.

The U.S. leaves behind 763 defense contractors responsible for training the Iraqi military to use and maintain $11 billion worth of sophisticated military equipment.

They will be supervised by 175 members of the U.S. military, as well as a large State Department presence at the new U.S. embassy.

Questions remain about how well the Iraqi people will be able to preserve their costly new democracy.

The U.S., meanwhile, must do some painful soul-searching about whether this war was necessary and worth the price we paid in blood and treasure.

But those are political and academic questions.

In a democracy, soldiers are sent to war by their elected, civilian leaders.

It is enough to know that our soldiers answered their nation’s call and, nearly without exception, served above and beyond the call of duty.

With a mixture of pride and relief, we offer our thanks.

rrhoades@sunjournal.com

The opinions expressed in this column reflect the views of the ownership and editorial board.

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