They should be championing him. They should be championing ALL our troops.
Yes, some of these soldiers are mothers of young children. But some of them are dads of young children as well.
Parents are important. Fathers are important. It seems to me that once someone says a child deserves a mother and a father, and that "Heather has two mommys" isn't alright for a child, then they should proudly stand up and say that the loss of a male soldier is just as profound as the loss of a female soldier.
I support our troops: male, female, and anywhere in between. If you're willing to die for our country, your sacrifice is larger than any other issue.