A Very Short Essay, On War and PEACE in the face of fundamentalism

Many differing opinions are floating around social media on how we should appropriately address a population of thugs that want sharia law to rule the day.  There may be arguments on both sides of the aisle, violence versus an attempt at a peaceful resolution (call in the unicorn division please). One thing that is guaranteed, is regardless of how we address it, there will always remain a group militant hooligans that wants to consistently try and put out the flame that burns in the soul of every freedom loving individual on earth (and where does it burn brighter than in the USA???).

Arguments on both sides, have valid points. But it's hard to try and come to a political resolution over such vast differences when the person (and I use the term person loosely, for that would indicate they are human) with a differing opinion is trying to saw your head off.  Or, try and understand why they want to persecute Jews, Christians, homosexuals, and yes, women (I have three daughters.  Women, should never be degraded or treated with anything but respect).  In the Islamic state, there is no latitude for anyone to have beliefs that fall outside what the caliphate dictates.  There is no question to the barbaric nature of this enemy, they have spoken loudly through well manufactured propaganda death videos.  And they use social media as their vehicle to recruit and distribute the garbage they produce. 

Waiting for them, if the call comes, is a well trained, experienced military with first hand knowledge of many of the tactical targets, cities, and a good portion of what is ancient Mesopotamia.  Yeah, I'm talking about the US military, if there was any doubt (but you know we have good company with our Canadian, Brit and Aussie counterparts, and I would be more than happy to serve alongside any Jordanian, or other Arab allied military member).  

Why? After so many years of conflict, over 6000 killed (a website to reflect on the fallen: http://projects.militarytimes.com/valor/), over 50,000 wounded, and many many thousands more suffering with adjustment disorder, depression, PTSD, and various other behavioral disorders, would we want to send Americans back to Babylon?  The answer is simple, clear, and speaks to that flame that burns in OUR souls resonating with freedom.

Freedom of choice, and flexibility of how to live your life, along with the pursuit of anything that this world has to offer.  The ability to worship in any temple you so choose, whether you are Muslim, Christian, Jewish, atheist, or agnostic. The security of walking into any grocery store, mall, or diverse ethnic shop or store and not fear for your personal safety or your family's lives.  The right to walk into a booth and cast your vote to put into political power through democratic processes any individual, from any walk of life, with the dream of making their country better.

These are things worth fighting for, sometimes the fight is more than exchanging punches and kicks in an octagonal cage.  It's about detailed, precise, exquisite techniques and tactics to decimate your enemy through the use of engineered violence.  Violence carried out by a volunteer force willing to sweat, bleed, and give their lives at home or abroad so the aforementioned freedoms remain intact.  Many will argue, it's across the ocean, it's far from home, it will never happen here (but it already happened here...  9/11).  

It's been here, hiding at your doorstep, waiting for the right moment patiently.  The enemies battle cry calls for death and wishes to destroy a way of life.  That way of life will only be secure through normal men and women engaging in horrible, unexplainable, and mind numbing violence.  But these men and women will stand, side by side, hand in hand, until the last one falls, to preserve and maintain that flame that is burning in your soul.

It's not religion, it's not land, it's not oil, and it sure isn't for any politically motivated aspiration that the average American fights.  It's simply about a way of life, and when we are there, it's about surviving with each other, for each other, for the mission that we were called upon to accomplish.

But let's hope it doesn't come to that.

En Avant...

144th ASMC and Iraq... Part Six (The second 6 months)

The atmosphere during the latter half of our deployment at Scania was in stark contrast to the first half.  During the first 6 months I mentioned that the deployment felt nothing unlike the year I had spent in Korea several years before, the most significant difference being we could not leave the post to go downrange and get some drinks.  That, and the fact that I never wore anything but Army uniforms as per regulation while deployed to Iraq.  Otherwise those first 6 months were relatively peaceful, not a whole lot of concerns about the conflict from our standpoint, most the violence and action was north of us and only on occasion did we see combat related injuries.  That peacefulness changed, and once it changed, the change wasn't for the better, nor would it return to what it was those first 6 months.

Once we started receiving mortar or rocket attacks, well, they kept coming.  Luckily for us, it only averaged one a week through the last 6 months of the deployment, but that is enough to rattle everyone from time to time.  Especially when it occurs while in a dead sleep.  It was always interesting waking up to the sounds of mortars or rockets detonating and for the first few seconds of discernible consciousness wondering if it was real or not.  I would lay there and it wouldn't be until the subsequent rounds hit that I would realize it was real, unless the post-wide alert system had been activated prior to the trailing rounds shaking the ground.  They never shot a single round, I think the most that was aimed at our post during a single attack was 12.  But, as I mention in my book, they weren't very good at hitting anything that was of great importance.  Only a few of the attacks even landed near habitable areas on post, and when they did we did not see any injuries for the length of time we were deployed form attacks on our post.

The insurgency outside the wire started to creep south towards our location also, the frequency of attacks, IEDs, etc started showing up closer and closer to Scania over those second 6 months.  To the point that we started to see more injuries related to blast injuries.  Luckily for us, the severely wounded were evacuated from the point of impact/injury and only the non urgent casualties would be routed to our location.  Also, those poor souls killed in action (KIA) never passed through the door of our clinic, there was a mortuary affairs team that handled all the KIAs that came to our location.  We only had to deal with the effects of those deaths on the living that came through our doors after such events, although some would argue that is just as painful.

I hypothesized in my book the possibility that the increase in violence was somehow directly or indirectly related to the cease and desist order form our brigade on treatment of local nationals.  The first 6 months of the deployment were extremely gratifying, but that humanitarian mission ended quickly and quietly and there were minimal confrontations with locals who we had been treating for months for severe burns that eventually understood that the medical rules of engagement had changed and thus so did our mission midway through the deployment.  My hypothesis that there was any correlation between the end of our local humanitarian mission and the sudden consistent mortar and rocket attacks was most likely just simply coincidence.  This was the time in the very early stages of the "surge" and the movement of violence south to or location was most likely the easiest way for the insurgents still willing to make some noise to continue to do so.  However, this is all my opinion, I have no verifiable data to conclude why the violence increased, I only know that is did.

So the second six months ended, through pure luck, my entire unit, including the team I led to Scania returned home, without physical injury.  Although we were leaving Iraq, for many of us the conflict was too strong to let go, many of us carried the mission home, held on tight, and it would take many months and years for us to return to somewhat of a normal life as we had known prior to deployment.  It was silly to think that we would ever return home the same persons we were when leaving, but I know that is how I thought, that nothing would change, that it would all be the same once I got home, but that was far from the truth although I wouldn't realize it for a few years after stepping back on American soil. 

So one chapter of deployment ended, and a new one would begin.

Excerpt from Combat Support; The True Burden Of Sacrifice
Chapter 13 "The Homecoming"

Our plane took off with the sun cresting to the east, spreading light and doing its best to heat up the cold November air. I kept to myself for most of the flight, speaking only when spoken to, trying to savor the knowledge of what was truth. That truth was just miles away, in a valley in which I’d lived for nearly eight years, minus the last fifteen months. It was still as if I were in a dream. I couldn’t comprehend it all, the finality of this deployment. Soon enough, though, there would be no time for disbelief and plenty of proof to make me a believer.

It was a pleasant ride. The mood inside the plane was, to say the least, upbeat. As we were told we’d begin our descent into the Salt Lake Valley, we all looked out the windows into the valley below. I hadn’t seen the valley pinched between the Wasatch Mountains in the east and the Oquirrh Range in the west in many months. The beauty of the valley is stunning no matter how many times you see it; it’s always awe inspiring. The Great Salt Lake spread out to the north and west of the Salt Lake International Airport like a great protector drowning all who would invade the valley from a direction not surrounded by mountain peaks. Although the smell of the lake does not impress, it’s as much an awesome sight from the air as the rest of the valley. I can’t recall which way we came into the valley; I’d made this trip many times, and this was the most memorable, but I can’t remember which path we took. It’s all a blur. Then the landing gear was down, and we slowly drifted down until rubber met the pavement of the Salt Lake International Airport runway. It was a sweet, smooth landing.

The Utah Air National Guard base is adjacent to the Salt Lake International airport. All that remained was for our plane to taxi out to the hanger that housed our welcome home committee, consisting of several top brass of the Utah National Guard and Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. But the most important welcome committee was those who had sacrificed the last fifteen months of their lives so we could go thousands of miles away to a strange land, to fulfill what we felt was an inherent responsibility for our nation. I joined the Army during peacetime, and never thought that I’d have the opportunity to serve my country in this capacity. I’ve never felt more proud of completing a goal or mission in my life than I did on this day. I may never again have the opportunity to serve this way, but no one can take away the fact that we’d done it, and now all that separated us from our families and completed mission were a few hundred meters of asphalt and a fuselage door.
  



 

The creation of the American Soldier - Initiation part 4

As basic training winds down, I think most individuals who complete it begin to have a great sense of accomplishment.  Both of mind and body.  Mind because of successfully navigating the emotional distress administered by drill instructors on a daily basis and also the knowledge that you have accomplished all the tasks and skills for which you must use your brain.  Everyone is under the impression that the Army is simply a physical roadblock, but that is much to the contrary.  It is as much, if not more mental than physical.  Memorizing your General Orders, The Soldier's Creed, The Warrior Ethos, The Army Values, The Army Song, your chain of command (link is general info on organizational chain of command, you need to know your direct chain of command from individuals team or first line leader, all the way to the POTUS), all the steps and commands of drill and ceremony, the basic rifle marksmanship strategies, to include remedial and immediate actions on your rifle, proper Customs and Courtesies, and trying to commit to memory all the annoying acronyms they throw at you.  This list can go on and on, it seems literally endless, but it is not.  It does however, only skim the surface of knowledge a soldier needs to commit to memory or have at his fingertips once finishing training.  Again, more on that later.

The physical aspect of molding a soldier is also daunting, but certainly not as difficult as the mental aspect.  Any human body can be trained into shape, unfortunately, the mental aspect is hindered by an individuals insight and intelligence, often hindered by genetics, some things you just have no choice but to live with.  So, even though the basic combat training physical training program is intense, it is easier to obtain and maintain that level of fitness than comprehend the rest of what is asked when becoming a soldier.  The Army Physical Fitness Program and Test is in the process of being overhauled, or at least that is the word.  Not sure when all the changes will take effect.

After going through 9 weeks of Fort Leonard wood, Missouri.  I was ready to move on to my Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Fort Sam Houston Texas.  It would be another eye opening experience, but much of the same in the mold of basic training.