WASHINGTON — Jackie Coffman lives right in the shadow of Fort Stewart, Ga., headquarters of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division. She can see the gates from the windows of her house.

Her husband, Maj. Ross Coffman, is gone these days, serving his third tour of duty in Iraq. Every month Coffman gathers with other military spouses to talk about what's on their minds: kids, money, their husbands' safety.

Not once, she said, when listing their anxieties, has one of the wives expressed concern that support for the troops is flagging. Not when Cindy Sheehan staged her protest. Not when Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Pa., called for a swift withdrawal of troops.

In Washington, as elsewhere, there appears to be a cautious consensus that debating the war is appropriate. Republicans and Democrats alike also say the discussion should be careful not to undermine troop morale.

Coffman said she considered words tossed around in Washington far less important to her life than the support she feels daily for herself and her three young daughters from the community around Fort Stewart.

That support has been so evident and unwavering that Coffman said she considered the growing debate over the war a healthy exercise in democracy.

"Everywhere you go, people thank you for your service to this country, and I think that the debate itself has not changed that support for the soldiers," said Coffman, 37. "I think that's the difference. When you go back to Vietnam, you were looking at the American public actually disliking the American soldier. That isn't true anymore."

Although opinions vary, people most concerned with the welfare and morale of the troops overseas — their families — don't seem to mind if lawmakers question the war, as long as they continue to support the men and women in uniform.

As for the soldiers themselves, they say they are trained to focus on their unit and their mission.