Served as a 13F1P (that's just a military designation for a jump qualified forward observer) with C co. of the 3rd Ranger battalion back in the early through mid '90's.
Lots of great memories (as well as humorous memories of things that I'd prefer not to repeat, i.e. being the lead swimmer setting up a rope bridge in a raging, flooded, and muddy Georgia river with about six or seven alligators on the opposite bank. My PSG told me to keep my knife in my mouth, and if one of the 'gators drug me under, the squad would reel me back in by the rope that was around my waist, "just go after his eyes" - I kid you not!).
Many sobering memories - fellow rangers getting killed in "mere" training exercises. Combat operations that never took off. What you need to do drain the blood of a man when engaged in a knife fight, and how many minutes you have to keep on with the fight if you're the man bleeding out of an artery...
Memories that cause me to pause and give thanks to God - getting knocked from a fastrope at 30' feet during a midnight rainstorm, landing on my radio, and not actually breaking my sorry back or having the assistant gunner come down on top of me and put his tripod through my face (yes, falling off of a fastrope happens a lot more than just what you might have seen in the movie 'Blackhawk Down'). Being strung upside down in my risers during a mock airfield seizure, but being able to work myself lose before having my head impact with the tarmac. Ad infinitum...
I also think of the sacrifices presently being made (for your freedom to even sit in your livingroom and post on this board), and for that I think that some of you here could use a dose of reality. Some would like to cry about America, the war, how bad it is that we've become the world's police force and are "covertly taking down governments" that you think have a right to exist? Well why don't you try living in East Africa, or some stinkhole in South America, and having always to worry about the local Islamic funded militia raping your daughers (or your sons), ruling as despots, torturing young boys, and shooting you in the face because you didn't like the fact that they were torturing young boys and raping your daughters? I realize that some may take offense at the strong tone here, but some of those same folk just might need a cold dose of life as is exists in other parts of the world in order to give a little more thanks for what America is preventing.
America may not be a "Christian nation" in the sense that some define the term, but I certainly do not desire that we end up becoming an Islamic state either. What would be interesting is to see how many on this board agreed with the Pope's statements last week. I briefly glanced at a couple of posts on it, and I at least noticed that the strongest supporter of his statement was a former "Batt boy". Maybe his military experience has given him a bigger picture of what's at stake here. Like it or not (and be it recognized or not by many) this is a war between a foundationally Christian West, and a foundationally Islamic terrorism, even my non-Christian brothers-in-arms understand that. You don't have to like the history of Christian wars against Islam , but I guarantee that you would have liked it a whole lot less had a bunch of overly pious Christians allowed those boys to just roll on into Europe like Mo's Steamroller.
We need always remember that God most often works through means, even in protecting His Church. So let us give thanks to Him in our prayers that, although we live in a more or less secular nation, it is that same nation which gives us our protection to worship Christ Jesus without fear, and to live lives of true Christian charity and piety.
I realize that the second half of this post would have fit better in the other forum, but I didn't have time to post twice. Hopefully, you all can make the proper connections.
P.S. Hey Ben, I've been giving some consideration to the Chaplaincy this last year or so. Maybe you could make contact, and send me a U2U?
Popping smoke and breaking contact...
Adam.
