With public opinion swinging hard against the war in Iraq, and frustration mounting about progress made in Afghanistan, American soldiers know challenges exist on and off the battlefield. But as I found out while I was embedded with troops from the 1st Infantry Division during their training at Fort Irwin, Calif., soldiers just ask for the support of the public.

They know that the public has problems with the war, five years in and more than 4,000 Americans dead. But to keep the morale of our fighting men and women high, they ask that you give them the benefit of the doubt. Hear their own words here (more below):

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Last week, I vlogged about why people are saying that Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius would make a solid vice presidential choice for Barack Obama.

But not everyone has a rosy outlook about Sebelius. In fact, some are saying she’d be a detriment to Obama’s campaign.

While she is very popular in Kansas, has been able to bridge the gap between Republicans and Democrats and could reel in Hillary supporters, Sebelius is light on experience outside of Kansas.

While John McCain trumps his experience in terms of national security, as well as his service in the Navy, Sebelius has next to no international experience.

Writes The Washington Post's Chris Cilizza: “Given McCain's strategy, for Obama to pick someone with even less experience than [Obama] has on national security and foreign policy matters makes very little sense.

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Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius was unknown to many before she gave the Dems' response to President Bush's SOTU speech in January. Since then, her profile has skyrocketed, and now she's high on many pundits' lists for vice president. Here's why people are saying Sebelius could be the next veep:

So...how did you spend your summer vacation? Does it compare to the nine Kansas teens who ran from their hometown of Wichita to Washington, D.C., to raise awareness of genocide in Darfur? To learn more about the Never Ignore, Never Forget relay, visit its Web site:www.neverignore.org

The four days I spent in the Mohave Desert with troops from the 1st Infantry Division were enlightening, if not confusing. Acronym after acronym blurred into one another, and I was just along for the ride. In addition to learning many unique and impressive things about how the Army trains for war -- using Iraqi-Americans to "play" Iraqis in villages built by Hollywood set desingers was one of them -- I came upon one of the biggest cliches of the war.

All these soldiers want is for Americans to support the troops. It's a line we've heard over and over, but for them, it rings true. They know that most Americans think the war in Iraq was a bad idea, but they're dedicated to their jobs and are eager to complete their mission.

Here are their own words:

Your Kansas correspondent Alex Parker recently embedded with troops from the 1st Infantry Division, which is recently completed desert warfare training at Fort Irwin, Calif. The troops explain how valuable and realistic their training is in this video:

Jake LaTurner comes from a long line of local politicians. The Galena, Kan., native's father was mayor of his hometown. His grandfather was a local judge. Now it's Jake's turn.

The 20-year-old Pittsburg State University sophomore is running for state senate, hoping to unseat the incumbent Democrat in the 13th District, Jim Barone.

LaTurner is a confident kid, well-spoken and seems a natural politician. He spends most of his days on the campaign trail, hitting up coffee shops and going door-to-door, explaining why someone so young can represent southeast Kansas in Topeka.

"Politics is a lot of older men and women who fight a lot," he says, explaining the mindset of many young voters. But he hopes to buck that trend, working with other legistators to keep southeast Kansas a good place to live.

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