On May 20, as we prepared to honor our war dead by observance of Memorial Day today, another warfighter went down in Kabul, killed by what is known in the military as an “IED” — improvised explosive device. This casualty was a young Air Force lieutenant, not much older than my oldest grandchild. Her name was Roslyn Schulte, and she was from St. Louis.

I have never met Roslyn, nor her family. They do not know me. She was not in the room last winter when 30 professional Department of Defense staffers from all across the globe assembled to try their very best to stop what was happening to others, what happened to her: the common practice by al-Qaida sympathizers and misguided zealots of assembling homemade bombs wired for maximum destruction at detonation, hidden by roadsides near military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Any of the thousands of American vehicles passing by could trip a sensitive wire, or happen along when the deadly timer on the device reached zero. Many have.

IEDs are currently, and have been for some time, the single most effective weapon to take down American and allied troops in what has become the common active war sector of the Middle East.

Of all the gathered officers, experts and seasoned Defense operatives in that Maryland conference room who strove to prevent Roslyn’s death and the deaths of many others, none was more dedicated than the three-star Army general who leads the effort. He is a fine and dedicated man, the first commanding officer to stand up a command dedicated expressly to defeating and stopping the use of IEDs. The best minds in the military were there to assist him. The latest detection and surveillance equipment have been deployed to sites where IED casualties have been most numerous. And they are decreasing.

Roslyn’s metal attacker, coming out of the dark, took out only one American this time, instead of five or six at once. The IEDs are less effective than they used to be, but still around.

And there are still many misguided fanatics in the war sector who believe it is a fine virtue to kill an American soldier, sailor or airman as easily as Mississippians shoot deer and turkey for meat and for sport.

This is why we have a Memorial Day. The United States is a successful and democratic nation, and success, like democracy, will always have its enemies. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates reminded us to stop for a moment of silence each Memorial Day to remember Lt. Roslyn Schulte and all her comrades.

They now rest, or will soon rest, at Arlington National Cemetery and in quiet family plots around the nation.

Opinions on most wars fought in the last half-century have often been divided and the Middle Eastern conflict is no exception. We can still support and honor those who strive to prevent more deaths, and those who have died in them.

Lt. Schulte and all her comrades deserve a quiet prayer, and an honest salute. Let us never forget them.

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The Rev Berry is vicar of St. Michael and All Angels Anglican Church (ACK) and lives in Raymond. E-mail reaches her at LBAInternl@aol.com.