Prayer:
Dear Lord, never let us forget that with freedom comes great privilege and great responsibility. Where tyranny reigns, bring freedom. Where oppression thrives, bring liberation and justice and peace.
“I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.” (Ezekiel 22:30)
October 15
IED ATTACK
Captain Skip Mahaffee, Law Enforcement Trainer for the Iraqi Government (2005)
The lead Humvee rocked violently. An IED ripped through the vehicle. Three of the four men inside were fatally wounded. Capt. Shane Mahaffee was riding in that vehicle when it was hit. The driver sustained a devastating vascular injury to his leg. Shrapnel had penetrated into Shane’s left lung. Shane jumped out of the wreckage and quickly took command of the situation. He directed the men in the remaining three vehicles to form a perimeter to prepare for any further attacks. Refusing medical care, he instructed his men to provide care to the others in his Humvee. After his soldiers had received the care they deserved, his men insisted that he too receive care.
A helicopter quickly arrived to take him to the Combat Support Hospital (CSH) in Baghdad. From there, he was taken to Landstuhl, Germany, where further surgery was required. His family was flown to be with him. Infection from the wounds ultimately took Shane’s life. To the very end, he firmly believed in what he was doing. Even when he was hospitalized he said the mission was not yet accomplished. He instructed a friend of his to go back and tell his men that they needed to complete the mission.
His family was with him when he died. It was the day after Mother’s Day, and his wife and mother were by his side. Three other soldiers died in the same IED attack. All four men are among the many heroes who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, don’t let us lose our way, neglect the truth you’ve given us, or fritter away the life we enjoy. Keep us faithful until the end of our days here on earth. How we look forward to eternity with you in heaven.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7–8)
October 16
SHANE LOVED THE INFANTRY
Captain Skip Mahaffee, Law Enforcement Trainer for the Iraqi Government (2005)
In May 2007 we went to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, for a memorial service where Shane was remembered. A large man stood up and related a story about one night in Iraq. According to the story, it was around 3 a.m., and tension had filled the team during an operation. Suddenly this same large non-commissioned officer cut through the tension when he said that he had heard Shane’s voice and he then knew everything was going to be okay. As this mountain of a man related his story at Shane’s memorial service, it warmed my heart. The fact that my son and the sound of his voice calmed this man meant a lot to me. Shane had a command presence wherever he was.
Shane was called up from the inactive ready reserve. He had not seen a uniform for five years. He and I had talked a few years back. He said that his practice was going so well and that he just didn’t have time to be in the reserves. We talked about it and I told him he had served his time and that he had completed his obligation honorably. When Iraq heated up, the military was stretched so thin that many reservists were called back into active service.
When Shane was in the eighth grade I sat him down, and we laid out a five-year plan. I asked him what he wanted to do with his life. He said he wanted to be an attorney. So we talked to the counselors at school, and I told him he might want to think about being an attorney in the military. I told him if he did twenty years in the military as a JAG officer he could get out and hang his shingle anywhere and still enjoy a nice retirement check every month. I’m a former Marine. But I told him I thought the Army was the way to go especially concerning the legal aspirations. And that’s how his time with the Army came to be.
When he went to college, he was in ROTC. He really liked the military environment; it suited him well. He was good at it. He liked the discipline and the structure. He became an instructor to other cadets. When it was time for him to be commissioned he had to put down his three top choices and one of them was the infantry. In 1997, I told him, “You’re not in the JAG core? What happened to our five-year plan?” He laughed and said, “Dad, when I practice law five days a week and then I go to the reserve, the last thing I want to do is lawyering.” His heart lay in the infantry. He loved the infantry. He never changed lanes. When he was called back up he went into a civil affairs unit.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, renew me in my inner man. May I act justly, love mercy, and walk humble with you throughout this life. And may I enjoy a wonderful welcome into heaven.
“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)
October 17
FREEDOM IS NOT FREE
Captain Skip Mahaffee, Law Enforcement Trainer for the Iraqi Government (2005)
Ronald Reagan once stated, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children what it was once like in the United States when men were free.”
Address to the annual meeting of the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce March 30, 1961:
I work with a lot of kids. My wife and I go to Washington D.C. every spring. We take school groups around Washington to see our great capital. Our theme is that freedom is not free. When we get to the Korean Memorial you’ll see it written in stone, “freedom is not free.” We don’t want anyone to be killed in combat. Life is precious to us. Our serviceman’s lives are precious as is every life in our country babies, teenagers and adults. We value life. You can see the wheels turning in our student’s minds. They seem to grasp the concept that life is precious. It is never okay to die. But sometimes it’s necessary.
I enjoy the chance to explain to them our precious freedoms and how sacred the sacrifice paid for them is. There are many on this earth that would like to take it away from us. There’s also a jealousy when others see what we have. It is often very different than what they have. There’s also the unfortunate reality that sometimes we forget what was paid in sacrifice for these freedoms. It’s great to be able to share the values that we have. Our family has sacrificed for those values greatly.
Failure is not an option. Ronald Reagan’s wisdom is true for all democracies. It is only one generation away from extinction. In a matter of one generation, Iraq’s democracy will fall if we just walk away and leave Iraq without a stable democracy.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, please make me holy, eager to do what is good and right and just and true. Please redeem many millions more, turning them from darkness to light.
“Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2:14)
October 18
ARMY VALUES: LOYALTY
Maj. John Croushorn, MD (retired veteran)
Loyalty is one of those unique words that brings clarity and focus to circumstance. It is an enabling word that can help me separate selfish and selfless motives and actions. In a moment that word can identify a gift or highlight an opportunity to give.
We are often motivated by deep values that define character. Loyalty is that for most people that serve. Service is in essence a byproduct of loyalty. We are loyal to our nation and its heritage. We expect it from others and we give it as well. Loyalty begets loyalty.
I used to think a great deal about
the shared heritage we had with those who had fought in other great wars. I thought initially it was the shared burden of stepping into harm’s way and the toil that separation from our families cost us. While that defines a part of that heritage there are some even clearer connections.
Do you remember how you felt the day the towers fell? Do you remember what it was like the next few days as people began to display American flags on everything? It was a culmination of all the emotions that come from seeing the true face of evil. It is that gut churning solemn state that arises from the horror of senseless death and destruction. That sense of the presence of evil is a part of a soldier’s tie to heritage.
Whether walking through Fallujah or the European theater in 1944, the presence and effect of evil constantly surrounds the American soldier. To daily interact with people who are free who were once enslaved is a motivating thing. It is in part that intangible tie to heritage. It motivates us to continue to fight. We want to rid this small part of earth from the cancer of terrorism. There is no rationalization for its evil existence. It must be completely and utterly destroyed.
This is a part of what it means to bear true faith and allegiance to the US constitution, the Army, your unit and other soldiers.
In the Bible “the men of Zebulun” were singled out for their “undivided loyalty.” What must have defined these men to be called out from so many great warriors? We know that they were experienced warriors and ready for battle. They were skilled with every type of weapon. Perhaps their greatest weapon was their loyalty.
Prayer:
Father God, help me remain loyal to you and those that have sacrificed so much before me. Impress on me the heart of the men of Zebulun. I want to be known as one with undivided loyalty.
“The men of Zebulun, experienced soldiers prepared for battle with every type of weapon, to help David with undivided loyalty 50,000.” (1 Chronicles 12:33)
October 19
ARMY VALUES: DUTY
Maj. John Croushorn, MD (retired veteran)
It was a cold November night in 2003. Julie and I had not come to terms about my service, but I had already been commissioned and attended Basic Training in San Antonio and the Army’s Flight Surgeon School at Fort Rucker, Alabama. We had a babysitter and in classic John and Julie fashion, our special date consisted of a light dinner and a walk in a local park. At the end of the first lap I told her the news that she never wanted to hear. “My unit is going.”
She didn’t say anything. She looked at me in disbelief. She turned and walked to the car and left. I didn’t know if she was going to come back and pick me up or not. I just kept walking.
A couple of hours passed. She came and picked me up and we drove home. We went to bed without a word. A further split in the chasm.
I awoke the next morning with the kids. I fixed breakfast and played with them while Julie slept. Actually, I doubt she slept at all that night. You should know that my wife’s faith has been very consistent. She has always had a close relationship with God. From time to time the way she would respond or relate to me would prove that it was not her emotions that spoke but rather the word she received from God. That morning, after the worst news she could imagine, she gave me a gift. She didn’t have to, but she blessed me in a way that still is hard for me to understand.
She came out of the bedroom and walked in front of me to get her morning coffee. She returned to the living room, stood near the fire place and looked at me. She sat her coffee on the mantel and walked over to the sofa where I was sitting. With a slight grin she reached out her hands to my neck and said, “You know, I could strangle you.”
Duty involves a commitment to do what is right even when it leads to personal harm. Following through with my commitment to serve was a necessary part of duty. The act of stepping away from my family and promise of a good job was difficult but necessary.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, the cost of duty is so high. The cost is separation, lost opportunity, uncertainty. So often we give into the fear of the unknown. Remind us always that any cost is temporary for those who know and love you.
“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… . But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)
October 20
REMEMBERING SEPTEMBER 11
Vice Admiral Rich Carmona, 17th Surgeon General of the United States
I will always remember where I was on September 11, 2001. It was a busy day. I was on a SWAT call in the middle of a hostage rescue. Earlier that morning the team was all on its way to a remote site in order to do mountain training. Half our team was already on the mountain. The other half was still at ground level. The page went out that we had a hostage rescue requiring immediate response. We were briefed on the way to the scene. Once we arrived we began to set up the perimeter. Just before 9 a.m. the dispatcher came over the radio and said that one of the towers had been hit by a plane. A few minutes later she came and told us it was deliberate.
We actually ended the hostage event very quickly. I was talking with the guy, telling him to go look at his TV. I told him, “The nation’s being challenged. We are at war.” I told him we didn’t have time to deal with him right now, and that we didn’t have time to stay here while the nation was being attacked. I said that he needed to put that gun down or we would have to kill him. He was threatening to kill a child but what I said communicated the right thing. He came out and gave up the gun. We rescued the kid and returned to headquarters.
Once we were back, we set up a perimeter around the station. Then we started evaluating targets of opportunity. We looked at how to fortify everything. We called out to the airport to find out if planes were heading toward our area of responsibility.
I know exactly where I was on Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, just before 9 a.m. It was just under two years before I became the U.S. Surgeon General.
Prayer:
Thank you, God that you never change. Your power, your presence, and your wisdom are limitless. You know the beginning from the end. Your purposes in our lives are clearly known to you. May we trust in your wisdom when we feel unsure.
Rich Carmona served as the 17th Surgeon General of the United States. He is also a decorated war veteran, having served with the Special Forces in Vietnam. Rich received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart among other military awards. Dr. Carmona has always been dedicated in efforts to serve his country and community. He has worn many hats to include, soldier, doctor, law enforcement officer, and SWAT team leader. He is both a soldier and the father of a soldier, as his son served in Iraq in 2005.
“Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.” (1 Samuel 14:6b)
October 21
FATHER’S LOVE
Vice Admiral Rich Carmona, 17th Surgeon General of the United States
Jason was a twelve-year veteran noncommissioned officer of the reserve component when he received word that his unit was activated. As a father, I was concerned for his safety. He’s a good kid. I know the amount of training that a reservist goes through. I knew that he would be seeing things in battle that he could not even dream of. I wondered if he would come home safely. As an admiral, I was also concerned about what our actual mission was there. These were questions that many of my colleagues at senior levels had. Is this a just cause? If so what is the strategic plan? Now it was more personal. What is the impact going to be on my kid and all the other kids serving over there? I had the personal emotions of a father as well as the emotions of an admiral, and sergeant, who has also been in combat; who understood how difficult war is.
I gave Jason many words of advice. The thing I stressed most was not to ever feel complacent or safe in a combat zone. Always be aware, looking around. When you’re out on patrol or on a convoy, when things look good, and when it’s quiet you always have to be thinking ahead. You have to be asking yourself what would happen if we got hit. What is the immedi
ate action drill for a near ambush or a far ambush? You don’t have time to think and react. You do it instinctively. I gave him a mini tutorial in combat. I didn’t want to scare him. But I wanted to raise his awareness. It was one way I tried to prepare my son for war.
Having been a person who has dealt with emergencies it takes a lot to push my buttons. Whether being an operator, lifeguard, trauma nurse, or surgeon, emergencies have been a part of life. This was different. This time it was my son. I knew where he was. I would hear the battle reports from the day, and I would wonder how he was doing. Every few days we got a reassuring satellite call or an email that would say everything was fine. Having been in combat myself, you know about its uncertainty. The reality is that there is no certainty until that plane lands on U.S. soil and you’re okay. As it got closer to his return you start thinking, I hope it’s not my kid that something happens to a week before coming home.
Prayer:
May we wholeheartedly love, obey, and serve you, Lord, in our youth and as we get older. May we never become half-hearted in our loyalty to you, God.
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12)
October 22
LIBERATING THE OPPRESSED
Vice Admiral Rich Carmona, 17th Surgeon General of the United States
Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq and Afghanistan Page 40
