Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq and Afghanistan

by Jane Hampton Cook

  Prayer:

  “Father, draw me close and allow me to be someone that fears you, and takes great delight in your commands. I have seen that the wicked man wastes away and his longings have come to nothing. I pray that I would seek out compassion and righteousness and conduct my affairs with justice.”

  Read Psalm 112

  November 29

  DANGER IN THE AIR

  Col. Joe Wood, Chief of Clinical Operations for Multinational Corps Iraq

  I initially flew into Baghdad from Ali AL Salem Air Base in Kuwait. I recall the ride out to the plane and boarding and having feelings of “well, this is finally it; all these years of army training and now doing the real thing, going into a combat zone.” It was a somber and reflective time on the flight into Iraq. I remember hoping that everything would be fine on the flight.

  One of the pilots of the C-130 asked if I wanted to fly up front in the cockpit. I remember looking down from high above Iraq thinking how bleak the desert looked and why humans ever inhabited this part of the world. Once we got close to Baghdad, the pilots put on their body armor and directed me to do the same. One of the crew was looking out the windows for surface to air missiles, and the plane went into a combat flight mode and dropped like a rock out of the sky. The descent was pretty rapid and in a tight banking maneuver that generated some significant force. I tried to take some pictures but it was difficult due to the gravitational force of the maneuvers. Seemed a bit like a roller coaster ride.

  In my role, flying was required for longer distances. Once, flying back to Iraq from a conference in Kuwait, our C-130 was locked on and fired at from the ground. There were explosions and sparks; it looked like fireworks. I could see light briefly from the windows out each side of the aircraft as the flares were deployed. Thankfully, not every flight was as memorable as that one was.

  Prayer:

  Dear God, please fill me today with your Spirit. In place of fear, please give me your courage and love.

  “My Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.” (Haggai 2:5)

  November 30

  SELFLESS SERVICE

  Col. Joe Wood, Chief of Clinical Operations for Multinational Corps Iraq

  I was impressed by the selfless service of those I served with. They put their lives on the line and remained dedicated to each other and the mission even if there were political decisions behind the mission they did not necessarily support. The self-sacrifice and service was present at many levels. It was inspiring to see selflessness in the face of hardship and physical danger. Firefighters and law enforcement live in a service role and understand the strength and honor that comes from service and sacrifice, but the average citizen misses the benefits of service for the most part.

  I believe any time that we participate in some act of selfless service we draw closer to God’s plan and experience his strength while working through adversity. This is most true for those at home. Our families were the true unsung heroes. They were not afforded the recognition but paid the same price. They often do not choose the sacrifice but bear the burden of both the loved one in harm’s way and the weight of keeping the family and home running in our absence. With the uncertainty of not knowing when or if their loved one would return, I believe they showed as much strength and courage as anyone deployed.

  I emailed my wife a couple of times a week and called home usually once a week to speak to her and my daughter. I also usually called my parents a couple of times a month. People did reach out to help my wife doing various things around the house and helping out with our daughter. I was struck by the warm outreach of family and friends with whom we had not previously had much contact; their letters, gift packages and other kind gestures comforted me and left a lasting impression upon me. I recall thinking if we each reached out to an acquaintance with the same kind of kindness, what a better world we would live in.

  Prayer:

  Thank you, Lord, that Jesus was willing to give his life as a ransom for many. By shedding his blood, our sins were forgiven. By his wounds, we were healed. By his resurrection, we have the assurance of eternal life.

  “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43–45)

  December 1

  SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

  Maj. John Croushorn, MD (retired veteran)

  “Mark target.” The comment came over the internal communication system from the other crew chief. We were always scanning the environment for threats, and he found something. It was a large weapon with two barrels hidden beneath the palms. Though only a glimpse, it was enough for him to identify what appeared to be an antiaircraft gun. With those words the pilot pressed a key and recorded the GPS location of the gun emplacement. We continued on our mission, and the location was relayed to higher headquarters. An unmanned aerial vehicle was dispatched to the location to reconnoiter and verify. The call came back to the helicopter about twenty minutes later that indeed it was an AA gun emplacement and though unmanned appeared to be operational.

  It was destroyed, but it highlighted how vulnerable you can be if you’re not aware of the situation or circumstance you are in. The helicopter had flown right over it. We were all scanning, yet only one in the helicopter saw it.

  First Peter 5:8 calls us to be alert. However being alert in our society for most people means simply to be awake. That is not what is being communicated in the passage of this verse or the intent that God has for us as people of faith. Situational awareness captures that concept better for me. It is not complicated. Situational awareness is being aware of the situation that you’re in. It’s a simple concept. It involves knowing what risks are around you, your circumstances, your capabilities, and resources that you can bring to bear if that situation changes, and an unspoken intensity of focus on each of those factors. Situational awareness is to an extent, hypervigilance it’s not just being awake. What an indispensable concept for a soldier, especially one who is a Christian!

  To have situational awareness in a convoy means you are visually and mentally engaged. Your eyes are constantly scanning for threats and resources. If something happens to change the situation, then your awareness of that situation will help you survive. I’m scanning, looking for threats both big and small. They can be intentional threats, such as people trying to hurt us, or they can be unintentional threats such as a pothole in the road, telephone wires that we might fly into, children nearby that we would have to avoid if they darted in front of us suddenly, or a brewing disturbance or distraction. Situational awareness allows me to focus my energy at preserving my role in the mission.

  Prayer:

  Father, help me to be aware of my circumstance. May my focus be on you instead of the situation. Help me not to be distracted from noticing what you are doing around me and when and where I should act.

  “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

  December 2

  ARMY VALUES: PERSONAL COURAGE

  Maj. John Croushorn, MD (retired veteran)

  On November 12, 2004, a Blackhawk helicopter from the 1/106th CAB was shot down in one of the first aerial ambushes in Iraq. The right side pilot was hit by an RPG and lost her legs and had a severely damaged arm. The two crew chiefs were both wounded. The left side crew chief was wounded when a round came up through the floor of the aircraft and penetrated his seat and hitting his buttock. The AK-47 round did not penetrate his pelvis but it did crack it. The right side crew chief lost a portion of the bone in his lower leg.

  The only one not to be wounded in the initial flurry of explosions and small arms fire was the left seat pilot in command, Dan Milburn. In the disarray that followed the initial explosion, his mind switched over to the training and years of experience that instinctively told his muscles w
hat to do. Blackhawks without hydraulics are very hard to control, and he was losing hydraulic pressure fast. In a miraculous feat the warrant officer guided the falling rock out of the kill zone and landed the aircraft upright. Without communications, he was unable to initiate a call for help, so he reflexively got out of the aircraft and began helping everyone else out. His crew wounded, his aircraft destroyed he did not lose composure in the midst of the emergency. His personal courage and the ability to act despite fear saved the lives of his crew.

  Personal courage is displayed in many ways and in many circumstances. Stories of courage while facing extreme personal danger are motivating examples of the inner strength we all hope to have. The hope is solidified when we face the stress and do the right thing despite the fear.

  “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not the absence of fear.”

  —Mark Twain

  “Courage is doing what you are afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you are scared.”

  —Eddie Rickenbacker, World War I Fighter Pilot

  Prayer:

  Lord, I want to throw off any entanglements, fix my eyes on Jesus, and run with perseverance. Please strengthen and perfect my faith in the weeks, months, and years to come.

  “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1–2)

  December 3

  HISTORY OF PTSD

  Frank Vozenilek, Viet Nam veteran, Point Man International Ministries

  Post-traumatic stress disorder has a long history. Moses directed the commanders of the returning Hebrew warriors to encamp the army outside the Hebrew camp for the required cleansing period of seven days (Numbers 31:19). He also directed those who had slain or come in contact with a dead body to purify themselves according to the Hebrew laws on the third and again on the seventh days. Only then could these soldiers who had seen and tasted battle be allowed into the camp amongst their families once again.

  Why? Not only because of the blood-borne disease they potentially came in contact with but, according to Jewish rabbinical clarification, it was because of the mental and emotional anguish the army had been put through in combat. God knew and knows the emotional pain soldiers feel when they see a comrade cut down before their eyes, or when they, who have been raised to respect human life, are now in a position to take life. These events traumatize the emotions and the psyche of the human being. God, in his wisdom, set forth the purification laws to counteract these traumas.

  Now fast forward to American military history. In the Civil War, the condition Soldier’s Heart was recorded as shock-like symptoms along with mental and emotional symptoms. In World War I it was called shell shock. In World War II and Korea the problem was known as battle fatigue, and in Vietnam, combat stress. PTSD was finally recognized as a mental/anxiety disorder 1984.

  Those with PTSD have severe problems trusting anyone and sharing that they have PTSD (if they even recognize it). But church laypeople can be trained to identify the outward displays and the internal feelings of a combat veteran. This basic training can be enough to help identify the problems:

  • Get prayer support

  • Make referrals to support systems

  • Be able to support as a concerned layperson within the community.

  Prayer:

  Lord, make me more sensitive to the needs of returning veterans and their families; show me how to support them.

  “The LORD is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

  December 4

  COUPLES FACING SEPARATION IS TOUGH

  Don Richards, Psychologist Counseling Military Veterans

  Mark returned home in the spring. It was the end of his second deployment. He and his wife had discussed the toll on their young family, and he was exiting military service. Although they were both committed Christians, the deployment had been very difficult. He had been involved in combat operations in Ramadi and Fallujah. But the combat wasn’t the only stress that tore at them. A year of separation and the stress of a young marriage and new baby were weighting both of them when he returned. There were signs that coming home would not be as easy as either had imagined. They expected the stress level to decrease, but instead it increased on his return.

  Whether stress is combat or noncombat related, the signs are going to occur in the same way. The marriage relationship is often one of the first red flags. The husband may not feel needed. The wife may not be handling the return of the husband very well. For months she has handled the day-to-day needs of their family. There may be unique characteristics and a personality that was not present before he or she left, like temper outbursts or bouts of depression, anxiety symptoms, a pattern of withdrawal from social situations that were not there before the deployment. The couple may have difficulty connecting emotionally. If either spouse is having trouble adjusting to a return from deployment, primarily it becomes evident within the marriage relationship.

  If a person is unable to get through the adjustment and deal with the stress and separation as well as the stress brought about in war, then it is an issue (not a character flaw) that needs intervention. Be watchful for the warning signs and reach out for help. Without help someone who was highly functional becomes chronically less functional. The signs are not subtle. They are red flags snapping back and forth in the wind.

  Prayer:

  Dear God, please help me cherish, love, and respect my spouse. Where there is strife, please bring peace. Where there is hurt, please bring healing.

  Don Richards is a psychologist that provides faith-based counseling to military veterans and has a history of dealing with combat veterans from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan. He incorporates faith and counseling that focuses beyond the traumatic. America’s wars have resulted in many mental and emotional casualties and men like Don are waging the fight to restore these men and women.

  “Wives, understand and support your husbands by submitting to them in ways that honor the Master. Husbands, go all out in love for your wives. Don’t take advantage of them.” (Colossians 3:18–19, THE MESSAGE)

  December 5

  FAMILIES AND EXTENDED DEPLOYMENT

  Don Richards, Psychologist Counseling Military Veterans

  Pending separation is difficult; communication and preparation must take place. The shock of it all is often too difficult for most to deal with effectively.

  One soldier shared with me:

  It was approaching Thanksgiving. Our unit had been notified of the deployment but we were not authorized to tell our families yet. It was a relief because most people did not know how to begin to give that news. Then without warning we were gathered together. The commander said, “The local news is going to release the story about our pending deployment tonight. If you don’t want your family finding out that way, go home and tell them now.” It was a gut-wrenching drive home. My wife and I went for a walk, and I broke the news. She was floored. Her worst nightmare had begun. How do you give that kind of news? How do you prepare to leave home?

  There is no easy way to prepare for separation. Especially regarding deployment to a combat zone. There are numerous issues with fear, vulnerability, and shifting responsibilities. There is no easy way to begin that conversation. What is certain is that the communication must begin, and it must continue as deployment approaches.

  The family needs a secure and strong support network. Those families who don’t already have one need to be very deliberate in finding and establishing one. They need to be very dedicated until they develop this. They cannot let any of the personal struggles that they are experiencing get in the way of establishing a strong support group. A support group sho
uld include some one who has experienced the same trial of separation or at least somebody who’s been through something very difficult and who has had to lean on somebody else.

  In addition to the work needed before the deployment begins, deployed soldiers should stay in contact and communicate as much as they can once they have left. Fortunately the mechanisms that exist today for communication back home far exceed those in past wars. Deployed soldiers have easy access to phones, and the lines of communication allow for speech, text, and video in many places.

  Though technology has made it easier for military personnel to connect with loved ones, it is always difficult to communicate the personal struggles and trials of deployment with our families back home. The deployed soldier should avoid describing traumatic experiences. One must realize that the circumstance around our communication is anything but normal. The stresses on each person are so unique, and there is so much separation that families have a difficult time appreciating the stress of being thousands of miles away in harms person.

  Prayer:

  Dear God, when I must prepare to leave my spouse, whether for a day or year, please lead, guide, and direct my spouse and me. Keep our hearts knit together before we say our goodbyes.

  “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” (Ephesians 5:22–25)