Who are your heroes?

My personal heroes are everyday people- especially educators and social workers. It seems that many of the heroic figures of history were just normal people who were put into extraordinary situations and faired well.

So do you have any heroes?
What are the requirements for someone to be considered a hero?
Do you think the men and women in the armed forces should be considered heroes?

Any more banter on this topic welcome.

And no, this has nothing to do with the show :P