"It is the soldier, not the reporter who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who gives us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag."

~Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, Sergeant, USMC

It's a religious war on their side.

On our side it should not - I'd say must not - be a religious war at all. It's a war of liberal, secular democracy against repressive religious dictatorships.

It's not like the Islamists have a soft spot for Jews or Hindus or Buddhists or atheists.

That's putting too fine an edge to it. Say rather, that it is a war between Radical Islam and Freedom.

"Uniformed military"? As opposed to... the part of the military that doesn't wear uniforms? Perhaps someone could help me out here.

Uniformed military implies reference to sworn members of the military whose personal authority is comprimised by military service, as opposed to a more general reference to the military which could include civilian support personnel, reservists, materiel and the political will to provide military resources.