EDITORIAL SUPPORTING THE TROOPS ONCE THE FIGHTING BEGINS, AMERICANS ARE ALL ON THE SAME SIDE.

FOR most of us, the debate surrounding the possibility of war in Iraq is an abstraction, an intellectual weighing of the pros and cons.

For the men and women in uniform overseas - and for their families and friends - it's personal.

And if and when war starts, it will become personal for all of us.

In today's Daily News, we look at the stories of nine local-area men who have shipped out to the Middle East, men who are prepared to fight for their nation at a moment's notice.

These proud Americans are among the scores of our neighbors, co-workers and friends who will be in our thoughts, hearts and prayers through every second of the conflict, from the first shot fired to the last.

It's often remarked that the debate about a war means nothing to the soldier in the trenches. Under fire and with their lives at risk, our troops don't have the luxury of discussing foreign policy. Their only concern is their lives, the men and women around them and their duty.

It's the same with the loved ones they leave behind. Among family members of local residents stationed in the Middle East, there's a wide range of attitudes about President George W. Bush's policies, from unwavering support to serious doubt.

Yet on one point the relatives and friends agree: Should war break out, may it be quick, decisive and take as few lives as possible.

We all can agree on that.

The debate over the war is healthy and constructive, but once war begins, it becomes irrelevant. At that point, no matter what our individual positions once were, we're all on the same side. We're no longer hawks or doves, Democrats or Republicans.

We're all Americans.

That's how we all felt on Sept. 11, 2001, when our fellow Americans were also under fire, only not in desert foxholes, but in their places of work and on commercial airliners.

War has a way of focusing our attention and drawing us to what matters most, which, in the case of Iraq, means supporting our troops, seeing them to victory and welcoming them home soon.