I would just like to wish the guys and gals Godspeed and hope you all come home safely. 
Lets not forget that all throughout history the soldiers/sailors/airmen involved with all wars are simply following the orders of politicians who follow the Churchillian philosophy of, 'History will be kind to me, I intend to write it'.
When this is all over, we will very quickly be re-reading about good old Tommy Atkins, while parliament sits sipping bubbly overlooking the Thames.
'History never repeats itself, but it rhymes' !
Mark Twain