The New York Times reports that “for generations, soldiers have been honored at the White House for valor under fire. And no one questions the heroism of Staff Sgt. Ty Michael Carter, who raced through a hail of bullets to rescue a wounded comrade and helped keep Taliban fighters from overrunning a combat post in Afghanistan.”

“But when Sergeant Carter, 33, was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Obama on Monday, he was venerated not just for his actions on the battlefield but also for those after the shooting was over. Back in the United States after a war that killed too many comrades, Sergeant Carter has become a symbol of the courage not only to face the enemy, but to face what comes next.”