As the war with Iran has been going on for four weeks, 13 U.S. service members have been killed. Ohioans have been honoring the lives of three members of the state's Air National Guard who died in a refueling plane crash on March 12 while supporting Operation Epic Fury: Capts. Seth Koval and Curtis Angst, along with Master Sgt. Tyler Simmons, who was recently posthumously promoted to this rank. Local news stations in Columbus spent several days covering and highlighting the achievements of these young men who paid the ultimate sacrifice in serving their country. Watching these broadcasts, my heart went out to their grieving families. Many of us will not have a close relative die in this conflict. Of course, we are all feeling the immediate effects of the war, with soaring gas prices at the pump that will also raise grocery costs due to rising fuel and fertilizer expenses if the fighting continues. But paying more for groceries and gas pales in comparison to the death of a loved one.

With the recent wars that we have had, which include conflicts with Afghanistan and Iraq, I have found myself thinking more about what military families are going through. I did not contemplate this as much when I was younger during the Gulf War in the 1990s between Iraq and the 42-nation coalition led by the U.S. I was a college student then, and, like many young people, I was very much into my social life and paid little attention to the two phases of the war, Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield. Yet what caught my attention in the news was the Gulf War being described as a "video game" because, for the first time in history, we were able to watch global combat on live television. However, seeing the airstrikes and bombs dropping in Baghdad on our TV screens did not always equate to feelings of compassion if the war did not cause a personal loss for us. I also became familiar with the term "collateral damage," a military phrase coined in the '60s. I've always thought this was a rather harsh description of the physical toll of war, and with Iraq being roughly 6,000 miles away, a genuine human connection often felt distant during the Gulf War period.

The present clash with Iran has brought a closer connection for me due to having an Iranian student in one of my English courses. The war had not begun when we began classes in January, but it was on the horizon. I asked this student about his family, and he was very concerned about their welfare. Despite the fear I'm sure he has grappled with, he has written excellent essays and has not submitted any late assignments. My thoughts and prayers are with him and the families of Ohio's Air National Guard who are still mourning. Simmons' family recently gave a heartfelt interview to share about their grief while celebrating his life. A cousin said Simmons had a "million-dollar smile" that led him to his dream job. His mother called him "an amazing man" who took on his duties with incredible joy in service, someone loyal who would do all he could to help others. Viewers could instantly feel their pain when Simmons' grandmother held her head in tears, crying, "Help me, Jesus," and when his mother shared that he was her only child. At just 28, Simmons had a bright future, and his mother mentioned how he had already planned to retire from refueling aircraft and later become a commercial pilot. She eventually broke down in the interview when she said, "We're done, no more children."

We can only hope that the Iran war will end soon. We have not had a huge number of casualties, but for the service members who have died, these are tremendous losses for their loved ones. I pray that God, as only He can, will lift the great emotional weight of their burdens. As Psalm 34:18 states, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed."

Dr. Jessica A. Johnson is a lecturer in the English department at Ohio State University's Lima campus. Email her at smojc.jj@gmail.com. Follow her on X: @JjSmojc. To find out more about Jessica Johnson and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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