I Have Become What I Avoided....I Am Them.

     I come from a great heritage of military service.  I have several uncles, my dad, my brother and my little sister who have served or are currently serving.  I also married my 1st Sergeant's daughter as a private.  Yes I live life on the edge.  With this great heritage comes great training and understanding of what is important and what is not important as you serve.  Much of what my father and father-in-law taught me as I grew up in and around the military has stayed with me throughout my almost 30 years of service.

     Such things as it is not about me it is about those who are on the left and right of me.  Junior enlisted and those junior to you eat first.  You take care of your troops and ensure they have what they need then you take care of yourself.

     Most of my thirty years have been served at battalion or lower.  In fact I did not move up to battalion level until I took my commission as an officer and joined the Chaplain Corps.  As a jr. enlisted and young NCO the them was battalion or higher.  When I went to work as at battalion level, for there is no choice as a chaplain that is the lowest level we are assigned to, the them shifted.  In fact the them was not even brigade the them was division.

     In 2004 I deployed to Iraq with Task Force 2-2 Infantry, 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division.  We were stationed in a place called Muqdadiyah, Iraq at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Normandy.  A very large former Iraqi military base that had been looted by villagers in the area.  Our lone battalion was responsible for securing this base which was large enough for a brigade at least.  It needed work and though some was done by the previous unit much was still to be done.

    We did what we could to make this place safe and livable for it was our home away from home for a year.  Though improvements were being done daily if you did not live there you would sometimes have trouble seeing the improvements if you did not stay there long.

     It soon became evident that there was an us and a them.  The them was not the enemy it was division.  We heard often that we were not doing enough to improve the FOB.  We heard  it so much that we created a video to compare how us and them lived.  For the them lived in a palace.  No, literally they lived or at least worked in one of Saddam's palaces.  

    The us not so much.  Many of our buildings had no windows or doors.  Our dining facility had concrete slabs when we arrived for tables and snakes would occasionally drop from the ceiling.  Hot water showers were occasional at best and our power would often go out.  We did improve things in the year we were there because we were not going to live a year with the FOB in that condition but there was still a divide between the us and them. 

     Why do I share this because in the last year I have risen to division level and I am now a part of them.  I like to say I have become what I have avoided for almost 30 years.  I do not think I will ever truly become a them because I am sure that my father and father-in-law would have much to say about that if my wife did not get to me first.  Yet I find myself sometimes feeling a bit guilty in the location I am stationed at in Afghanistan.  The room I have is far removed from the place that I was at almost 10 years ago.  I have indoor plumbing and not a piss tube or a outhouse that the tub has to be removed and the human waste burned while you stir.  There is a bit of guilt because I have seen some of the other bases here in Afghanistan and I know they do not live in the standards that I am enjoying at Kandahar Air Field.

     In a way having the above video is a reminder to me that I may be up with the them but I do well in remembering that there is an us that my responsibility is to serve and not lord over.  The scripture verse comes to mind of John 17:14 - 19 that speaks to being in the world but not of the world.  Just as the disciples were in the world and effected change maybe I can be them in order to effect change not in the way it was done when I was in 2-2 but in a better way.  I guess if I want to impact the Army in the way I want to it is better to be at this level for I impact more.  May I do it in such away that I never lose sight of the us.

Why I Serve...

Basic Combat Training 1985

In my 29 years of service the question that I have heard most often is why do I serve.

     I have often thought long about that answer. My initial reason for joining was simple.  I joined because of love of country, love of military and most of all because of the call to serve and before I became a chaplain I wanted to experience being a Soldier.

     My continual service has to do with my love for God and the place he has called me to be and my love for Soldiers.  If I was asked today why I serve it would because of the following stories about two Soldiers.

     I often sit back in amazement that I get to serve along some of the most amazing men and women in the world.

     In the very early morning hours of 6 Oct 2013 a unit went on a raid here in Afghanistan.  The raid went downhill fast and there were many wounded and a number killed.  All the Soldiers in the raid are an inspiration, two Soldiers standout to me.

SGT/Team Leader 3rd PLT 670th MP Co 2nd Row 4th from left. Late '80s

     Soldier one who I can only imagine was either the medic or a leader of some sort.  Arrives at the Role III hospital (the highest level of care before going to Germany) and steps off the aircraft injured with a tourniquet around one of his arm.  He drops his gear and only when he knows his team is being taken care of he allows himself to become a patient.

     Solider two is lying in the ICU.  Tubes sticking out of him and he is incubated.  His right arm is wrapped and splinted.  The command arrives to do a Purple Heart Ceremony for the wounded from the night before. The medical staff is sure that this Soldier will not respond and likely not to remember the event.  The command presents this Soldier with his Purple Heart.  They begin to present his Combat Infantry Badge when he begins moving his right arm.  The doc presses in and attempts to calm the kid down.  The kid continues to move his arm from under the blanket.  They continue to attempt to calm him down.  He finally gets his right arm out from under the covers and then fights with the tubes and splint and he then presents the best salute that he can render under his conditions.

Battalion Chaplain 2-2 Infantry Regiment 2004

     Two men who are an amazing inspiration to all.  One put his men before himself the other in the midst of his medical condition still renders appropriate honors.

     This is not the first time I witnessed such greatness.  I have been blessed to see such greatness over and over again in the last 29 years.  I serve because God called me here.  I serve because of great men and women like these.

     I am honored to serve along such greatness.

Love

This year my wife and I will celebrate 27 years of marriage. In today's world that is forever. Yet I feel like I have only just begun since my grandparents this past year just before my grandfather died celebrated 70 years. 

To say it has always been wedded bliss would be a lie. We are two individuals who come from different backgrounds. We have had our ups and downs. Yet I would not return a single year back. Well save the around four years I have been gone with the Army. I would exchanges those for four years to be home. Apostle Paul sad there would be problems in marriage. 

We were married young she 19 me 18. She was my 1st Sergeants daughter. Yes I live life on the edge. I was a mere PV2, E-2. Barely had mosquito wings to hold down my collar.

She interestingly enough said three nevers and got me. Never marry someone from her home town. Never marry some one in the military. Never marry a minister. God must have been laughing hard when we hooked up. 

As she sleeps here beside me I cannot help but think about my up coming deployment and her once again taking care of the home front. I long to stay home with her. Yet I raised my right hand and swore to support and defend . . . .  My evaluations have always said to send me to the toughest jobs, and that the Army has done. 

I am proud of my wife for with each tough assignment she has been there to support me during the good, the bad, and the ugly. There has been much ugly. 

Proverbs says that a man who finds a good wife has found a great thing. I am extremely blessed to have found my bride. I love you babe. 

Eighth Anniversary of Phantom Fury Nov 2004

Today marks the 8th anniversary of the assault on Fallujah, Iraq, known as Phantom Fury.  Due to good PR by the Marines the assault is often seen as a Marine assault.  In actuality it was group effort by all branches.  I like to say that the Marines could not handle it so they called in the Army who helped get their butts out of Fallujah.  The picture to the right is but part of the story of the units that were part of the attack or supported the attack.  I will not allow the Marines to take full credit for something that others fought along side them to do, rid the city of insurgents. 

When you look at this picture look at the unit on the far right.  "Army 2-2 INF" is the unit I was a part of during this time.  I was granted the honor by the U.S. Army to serve with TF 2-2 for three years.  The sector we were given as you can see was the west sector.  This was the industrial sector it was also beside the main highway out of town.  This is where the insurgents had their bomb and IED factories.  This is where some of the greatest fighting took place.

CPT Fred Dente and my assistant PFC Figaroa

You see the Marines had not been in Fallujah for three months.  When we arrived at Camp Fallujah the story is told that the Marines asked some of my joes what they did in our sector and cities in Iraq.  My Soldiers told them that we go into our cities we patrol them and rid them of the insurgents.  The Marines were shocked by this and said they had not been in their cities in three months.  Three months was plenty of time for the insurgents to gain a strong hold on the city of Fallujah.  And a strong hold they had.  They had taken US supplied barriers and used them for themselves.  Booby trapped homes.  Laid bombs and IEDs along the roads etc.  

SSG James Matteson

The fight that we were about to enter into on 8 Nov 2004 was not going to be an easy fight.  The projected losses were expected to be 50 to 80%.  My unit and I were prepared to do what we had to and prepared to pay the price because that is what we do.  Fortunately we had great leadership such as LTC Peter Newell, CPT Fred Dente, CSM Faulkenburg, SGM Bohn, 1SG Lewis, CPT Sean Sims, CPT Doug Walters, SFC Chris Simmons and others.  We had with us the best medical team a unit could ask for in doctors and medics.  This combination and the great Soldiers that were in TF 2-2 we were not going to allow there to be a 50 to 80% casualty rate.

SPC Jennifer Amato Smith

On November 8 we set outside the city and under the cover of darkness we breeched the north side of the city.  As 2-2 breeched through the raised train tracks that held booby traps and explosives the Marine unit beside us struggled with their breech in their area.  They had already lost three Marines attempting to do a breech.  They then called us and requested to use our breeched area because they could not get through.  Just one of several challenges the Marines had that we had to save their butts on.

The fight lasted two weeks.  In this time our unit used 900 rounds of artillery for our sector alone.  The amazing thing was we used that many rounds and one of the guns automatic loaders was down and they had to do it manually.  Untold rounds form Close Air Support (CAS) and countless rounds of small arms, 20mm, and tank rounds.  In the end we had only 43 casualties.  Most were returned to duty (RTD), 4 were evacuated to high hospital care yet would survive their wounds and eventually return to 2-2.  Four individuals would pay the ultimate price, CSM Steven Faulkenburg, 1LT Edward Iwan, CPT Sean Sims, and SSG James Matteson.

I will not sit by and allow the annals of history to record that the fight in Fallujah in Nov 2004, which is still studied to as one of the greatest battles of Iraq since the invasion, to be seen as just a Marines battle. For along the Marines fought amazing men and women of the Army and the greatest of these units in my opinion, as biased as it might be, was 2nd Battalion 2nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, known as the Ramrods and TF 2-2.

The Marines awarded TF 2-2 their patch as a combat patch as a form of thank you for what we did for them.  I wear that patch proudly today for two reasons.  One in honor of those men who died in the Battle of Fallujah and two because it makes the Marines mad that I can wear their patch and they cannot.  Here is to the men and women of TF 2-2 who are some of the most amazing people on earth.  May God bless them and their families.

America

(Que patriotic thème music)

I was just outside taking care of a chore after watching the presidential debate. I started doing the chore with some since of frustration and concern over where this nation was heading.  As I mulled over the things that I have seen and heard concerning this election I suddenly found myself filled with a great sense of pride in this country.

Why pride when it seems there is more divisiveness then ever before.  At times there seems to be greater divides by race, creed, sexual orientation, etc then there has been in the past.  So why should I be proud in divisveness?  Why would I be proud over the fact that some of my friends who are ultra conservatives are in heated debates with some of my friends who are ultra liberal?  I am not proud because of the divisiveness and what seems to be direct attacks on one another.  No, I would prefer that we were all in the same place.  Yet the reality is that we are not.  None the less I am proud.

I am proud because in 1984 (insert Orson Wells book 1984 references now) as a senior in high school I went down and signed my name to join the Nevada Army National Guard.  This past September I celebrated 28 plus years of service in the United States Army, active and national guard.  I am proud of this country and it's election process.  I am proud of the freedoms, and the pursuit of liberty and happiness for all these reasons and the opportunity to minister to those who serve is why I signed my name on the dotted line.  I do not always agree with what friends and family say, yet this is one of the reasons I serve because I believe in the process.  I believe that we should be able to voice our opinions on Facebook without fear of censorship from the government like many countries.

Yes, I am well aware that as an commissioned officer and a member of the armed forces I do not always enjoy some of the same freedoms that I stand guard and protect for the citizens of this great country, like freedom to openly discuss our politicians.  None the less I am proud of this country.  In my time of service I have been to Honduras, Korea, Japan, Europe, Kosovo, Iraq, and Kuwait.  I have seen the worse of the world and the worse of countries.  I am proud that I do not live in places like Russia and Venezuela that has rigged elections, and it is just amazing that dictators are magically elected over and over.  I am proud that I do not live in places like Iran or China that censors and limits their citizens freedom to express themselves in an open forum.

What does bother me is when someone says I am not going to vote.  I understand their point.  I understand their frustration with the choice or lack of choice they feel they have.  I have indeed served and risk my life for them to have the right not to vote.  I have seen men be permanently injured and killed for this right.  For those who are considering this choice let me share a story with you and consider your choice.

In 2004 I was serving with a great group of men and women in 2-2 Infantry in Iraq.  During our deployment the first election in Iraq was held.  As the election time approached the enemy threatened the citizens were with their lives if they showed up to the polling areas.  At great risk to their lives and many having to travel great distance by both foot, car, and cart began arriving at the polling areas to place a vote.  While standing in line many polling areas were hit by rockets and mortars.  Lives were lost, people were injured.  Those in line would help care for the casualties and then get back in line to vote.

What are you willing to risk to ensure you keep what they were willing to lose.  Even if you vote none of the above you have allowed your voice to be heard.  If you choose to stay at home you have done nothing for the process and thus have no reason to complain for you silenced your voice.

Let us consider another fact that is as important and in some ways even more important then the Presidential Election.  What is more important in some ways is the election of our Senate and House of Representatives.  You want to have an impact consider that vote.  The president does nothing aside from executive order outside of those two houses.  The president that accomplishes much will not depend on an Republican or Democratic Congress.  The president that accomplishes much understands that he will be best served by working with congress.  So educate yourself on those who are running for those offices.  Ensure that we put the right people in there so that this country will move forward.

A final note to those that choose to hide or deny that the election process is even happening.  Take your head out of the sand.  Seek information and educate yourself and your family on the issues not on the individual.  For whether you like it or not in a few weeks an election will take place.  If you have not educated yourself and simply vote along party lines you may be the vote that puts someone in that on the surface is one thing and once in office turns out to be something else.

So I am proud of my 28 plus years of service to this great country because we have the rights to vote, to argue, to debate and at times agree to disagree.  You do not have to agree with the military but do not squander the time we have put to protect your rights.  Do not let the deaths of those who have served since the inception of this great country to be in vain.  Be proud of your country again and vote.

Family Fued

This blog is about freedom.  Not about being for or against a certain ideology or belief.  It is not a theological discussion concerning homosexuality.  Those who know me know where I come from and know what I believe.I have dedicated my adult life to defending the freedoms of this country.  I have family and friends who have done the same.

I have sat back and half observed the rhetoric being thrown from both sides and yet no one is listening.  No one is hearing.  What should they be hearing?  They should be hearing the fore fathers as they write the constitution.  The men and women who over the last 237 years shed blood, sweat and tears building the greatest country on earth.  I have held friends as they breathed their last and sacrificed all so that we can have the freedoms to believe in or not to believe in the god of our choice.  To express their beliefs and though their beliefs are not accepted by all to be respected for holding to what they believe.

I may need to back up a bit.  Let you know where I come from.  I am a devote Christian and a minister.  I have several good friends and family who are homosexual.  They all know where I stand and yet more importantly they know that I love them with all my heart especially my beautiful daughter.

For those who are not aware it seems Mr. Cathy who owns Chick-fil-A has stated and backed with financial support his belief concerning marriage and family values.  Mr. Cathy considers himself a Christian and has attempted to maintain those beliefs and values as he created his fast food chain.  In fact he holds so strongly to his beliefs that he is willing to sacrifice income by ensuring his fast food restaurants are closed on Sundays.  This has caused an uproar across the country as lines are drawn and people go to their corners to come out fighting.

Politicians have chosen to voice their opinion and threatened to regulate Chick-fil-A because Mr. Cathy has a different opinion then they do.  This offends them yet at the same time those on the other side of the fence are not to be offended by what they say.  Here is the problem, when we start regulating individuals and companies freedoms in this country we only whittle away at some of our own freedoms.

You see what I and many others both gay and straight do everyday is put our lives in jeopardy in order for there to be a great country free to believe and express those beliefs.

I have to chuckle at some who call out for tolerance and acceptance and yet do not give it themselves.  Do you know what true freedom is?  True freedom of expression, religion, of speech is when two people can sit in a public place and express themselves and be accepted by each other.

So lets celebrate freedom.  Let's celebrate the diversity that makes this country so great.  Instead of tearing our family down in this family feud we are having lets renew our focus like we did after 9 / 11.  We do not have to worry about an outside enemy destroying our country we are slowly destroying it from within.  We are to be the example of what freedom is for the world instead all we do is destroy each other.

So today let us celebrate freedom.  Let us celebrate 237 years of men and women laying down their lives so that we can do exactly what we have done the last few days express our opinion, yet let us do it better.  For those on both sides who want to toss out that Jesus says to love one another then let us do just that, love one another instead of saying it and continuing to swing the club.

Army Friends

Don Crow and his beautiful family

Friendships in the Army, and I imagine in the military as a whole (I can only speak about the Army for I have never served in the other branches) are typically made quick yet endure for years without even being near the individuals.  This may happen in the civilian sector too but I have not seen it to be as common a phenomenon as in the Army.

When you live in a world where you, or those around you, are often changing units, retiring, or just getting out of the Army every few years you learn to make friends fast, and often times those friends remain close long after you have each moved to new duty stations.

Don, seen in the picture above is one of those friends we made in the Army.  We met back in 1999 when I came on active duty.  Don was a company commander in the battalion that I was the chaplain for.  I was honored to serve with such a great Soldier and individual.  In the year that we served together we became what I would classify as good friends.  In 2000 Don went on to greater things as I remained with the battalion.  We remained in contact over the next few years.  Something that was more difficult without things like Facebook or other social media.  De'Dee and I were able to see Don again in 2002 when we made a trip down to Florida prior to our departure for Germany.

This week I had to make a trip for the Army as part of a training exercise to Maxwell AFB in Alabama.  Don had made the move back to Auburn, AL a few years ago so I look at a map in hopes that Auburn was near Maxwell.  I discoverd it was only 50 miles away.  Tonight I had the honor of having dinner with Don and his beautiful wife Katie.  It was nice to see Don and his family.  It may have been 10 years since we saw each other but it was as if no time had past.  I was honored to be able to share dinner with Don.  Thank you Don for traveling the miles to come share dinner.

Don is just one of the many we have met in our time being on active duty that have become friends with and remain good friends over the years.  They are scattered all over the world at this time.  Some are more like family then friends.

As we begin to transition this summer to another duty station, move 6 in 7 years, I look forward to seeing old friends who are already stationed there and making new friends.  It is an honor to serve and even greater honor to serve with some of the greatest people in the world.  People I call friends and family.

One of the amazing thing about friends in the Army is that soon you find out you are friends with people who are friends with your friends.  The Army is proof that there is only six degrees of seperation.  The other day I posted something on the status of one Facebook friend and a friend I met from another area posted a comment.  I had served with both in two different areas but neither at the same time.

It is an honor to serve but it is even a greater honor to call so many I have served with friends and family.  One day I will have to retire.  There are many things that I will miss about the Army one of the most I will miss is the friends.  I am thankful for social media that allows me to stay connected.  The good news is I have friends around the world that I can go visit.