The defense funding bill President Obama just signed will do some helpful things for the country as a whole and Alaskans in particular. It fixes the snafu that left two dozen WWII-era veterans of the Alaska Territorial Guard with lower retirement payments than they deserved. It took a lot of work by Senators Mark Begich and Lisa Murkowski to overcome perplexing resistance from the Obama administration on that one.

The bill also has provisions that help ensure better care for those who are injured while serving our country.

"Many wounded service members have been discharged prematurely," Sen. Murkowski noted Wednesday, "and this has compromised their recovery and imposed additional hardships upon them and their families." She worked with Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold, to ensure more thorough evaluation and treatment of the nation's wounded warriors. They who give so much for their country deserve the best possible care.

President Obama was pleased with the major thrust of the defense funding bill. He wanted to cut pork-barrel spending on military hardware that doesn't fit today's needs and invest instead in weapons and strategies that enable the country to defend itself against real threats.

The bill will save $2 billion on F-22 fighter jets that the Pentagon didn't need and it kills the grossly over-designed and expensive new presidential helicopter. Meanwhile, the bill speeds up work on more useful weaponry, like the Joint Strike Fighter and the Littoral Combat Ship.

Reordering priorities to meet the military's needs, instead of political imperatives emanating from Congress, can only be good for Alaska and the rest of the country.

Bottom line: Alaska and the nation come out well in the military funding bill.

Cpl. Fleury

Service High graduate falls during third tour at war

A young man who found his mission in the Marines and who "accepted the extra challenge" of a third deployment to war is dead at 23.

We join today in thoughts and prayers for the family and friends of Cpl. Gregory Fleury, killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. Three times he went to war for his country. We honor his service and sacrifice, as we honor that of all 140 Alaskan and Alaska-based troops who have fallen in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Cpl. Fleury's grandfather spoke of his dedication, his acceptance of extended service even though he already had done his part and more. He served his country above and beyond the call even before his death. That dedication, that willingness to shoulder such a dangerous responsibility, drives home the need for the United States to be sure in our purpose and wise in the way we wage war in Afghanistan, Iraq and anywhere else.

President Barack Obama, still deciding our course in Afghanistan, recently promised American troops at home he would be very careful before sending them in harm's way, and that if he did, he'd make sure the country backed them to the hilt.