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I think any of us who have been involved in the mission of Iraq have developed a great deal of affection for the Iraqi people and are emotionally invested in what we think is a vital mission... So I think any of my contemporaries would welcome the opportunity to go back and make a contribution to this extraordinarily important mission.

We know there isn't anything we can say or do that will bring their loved one back. What we can do is support them and honor their sacrifice by doing everything we can, every day, to make our communities stronger and our nation better so that we may be a people worthy of their sacrifices.

In my own mind, it is profoundly disappointing to see what has occurred in Iraq given the sacrifice of our troops, given our commitment to removing Saddam Hussein and putting in place a fledgling government that would have a chance for a stable, secure Iraq.

Life does not stand still for families and local communities when our brave men and women are deployed, but we can make their time apart more bearable by recognizing their sacrifice and fulfilling our commitments to them.

Much as soldiers come back, they've been in combat or the edge of it and suddenly that adjustment back to civilian life is a real challenge.

Surrender your forces and give yourselves and your troops the opportunity to be a part of Iraq's future and not a part of Iraq's past.

I leave Iraq gladdened by what has been accomplished and confident your future is full of hope.

Any child soldier has to go through a lot of love, care and understanding to become normal.

A lot of child soldiers lose their minds.

If your parent is deployed and you are that young, you spend the whole time wondering where they are and waiting for them to come home. As time passes and the absence is longer and longer, you become more and more concerned - but you don't really have the words to express your concern. There's only this continued absence.