Recent events in Kansas have drawn some unflattering attention to the state, but a Thanksgiving trip by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to visit troops in Kuwait gave Kansans a reason to be proud.

Sebelius joined three other governors who were invited by the departments of State and Defense to make the trip. On Thursday, she had two Thanksgiving dinners with military units on active duty, including one meal with the 891st Engineering Unit, which is based in Kansas and commanded by Lt. Col. Lee Tafanelli, an Ozawkie resident who resigned his seat in the Kansas Legislature when his unit was called up.

The governor’s itinerary also included meetings with the Kuwaiti foreign minister.

Sebelius’ national reputation appears to be growing, as reflected by her recent recognition by Time magazine as one of the nation’s top five governors. It’s somewhat unusual situation for a Democratic governor like Sebelius to be elected in a Republican state like Kansas, and working with large Republican majorities in the both houses of Kansas Legislature presents some challenges. But a governor traveling abroad to show support for American, and especially Kansas, troops serving in a foreign land is a mission almost any Kansan can support.