Jane Cook - Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq and Afghanistan

Bandanas serve a practical purpose. Soldiers use them for a variety of purposes, a face shield from sand storms, a sweat band, and even a tourniquet. Mary noted that God’s Word is an offensive weapon not a defensive weapon, in God’s armor.

“So I believe that as our soldiers suit up for battle, we should also be able to give them a piece of the armor of God to give them protection, deliverance, courage, encouragement, and comfort,” Mary said.

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 ignited the war on terror. The coincidence of the numerical reference of Psalm 91:1 makes this passage of Scripture an even more comforting source of strength to military personnel and their families.

Almighty God, I pray your protection over our military members, that you will keep them from the fowler’s snare and that they may abide under your shadow.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psalm 91:1)

When Mary Bass Gray of Fayetteville, North Carolina, began Operation Bandanas in November 2006, she turned to chaplains for help. As a result, chaplains became the primary distributors of these donated camouflage bandanas imprinted with Psalm 91. By June 2008, Operation Bandanas had provided more than 55,000 bandanas to members of the military. How did military personnel receive them? They received them with much appreciation!

Multinational Force-Iraq Command Chaplain, CH Colonel Mike Hoyt, who served as senior chaplain for all United States forces in Iraq (2006–07), explained the impact of these bandanas on Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines.

“The conversation stops when I pull one of these out. I tell that this is being presented to you by citizens of the United States of America, from Christians who specifically have you in mind in prayer. They have spent their money and their time to be sure these are delivered to you guys, to let you know that they support you and are behind your personal spiritual life,” he said.

Hoyt explained that when he pulled out the bandanas from their zip-lock bags and handed them to members of the military, many asked him pray over them right then and there.

“Everyone looks at me right in the eye and says thanks,” Hoyt noted. No one just stuffed a bandana into their pocket as if it were just another token.

“Man, what a powerful thing that is for soldiers. The bandana sort of becomes a hallowed relic right there,” Hoyt said.

The bandanas have been used in many ways. Some soldiers who received the bandanas before deploying had their children write a message on the back of the bandana, as a continual reminder of those back home. A sergeant suffered a severe leg wound from a rocket attack in Iraq. Those who were with him grabbed whatever they could find. They tied two of these bandanas together and wrapped them around his leg. The bandanas not only saved his leg, but possibly his life.

The bandanas have also played a role as men and women return home.

One tradition you may or may not be aware of that’s developed on the part of some soldiers is having their fellow soldiers/friends ‘sign’ these bandanas as a keepsake before heading home to remind them of God’s protection and those who shared it with them,” wrote Jeff Hawkins, 2 ndBrigade Combat Team Chaplain, 82nd ABN, Camp Taji, Iraq.

These bandanas have become tactile, visible reminders of God’s Word and his divine attributes of comfort and protection.

Thank you for using a simple piece of cloth, something a little heavier than a feather, as a reminder of your shield and protection.

“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” (Psalm 91:4)

“One of the hottest commodities in the PX is a Swiffer. When a new shipment arrives, word spreads like wild fire and these mop-like wonders are gone in minutes,” Air Force Major Brad Head fired off in an email to his wife Meredith shortly after arriving in Taji, an air base twelve miles north of Bagdad, in February 2007.

Having developed policy and programs for the U.S. Air Force Academy while stationed at the Pentagon, Major Head volunteered to come to Iraq and develop curriculum for the Iraqi Air Force Training School. He and twelve other United States Air Force members from around the world were charged with the task of building the training pipeline necessary to resurrect the Iraqi Air Force which had been disbanded early in the war.

“Besides the fact that we are a very small island of Air Force blue in a very large sea of Army green, the best way to describe Taji is MUDDY. This place is ridiculous! There are literally hundreds of construction projects going on all over the place and the last thing they are worried about is using concrete for the roads.”

Head’s mission was a critical piece of President George W. Bush’s National Strategy for Victory in Iraq. The primary tenant of this new strategy was to get a large number of coalition troops out of Iraq in order to re-establish the Iraqi military.

It would take a lot more than a Swiffer, however, to clean up the mess threatening Head’s mission. Setting up his 10x10 feet room alone proved a challenge. Head and his roommate each received a wall locker, night stand, and mattress, and spent the better part of their first twenty-four hours trying to piece the IKEA-like furniture together with the help of a single leatherman hand tool. Realizing parts were missing from the furniture that they were to assemble, they bought used items from a contractor and searched for furniture in warehouses filled with old stuff from the Soviets and French. Worse than their personal living quarters, the twenty-seven buildings designated to house the new training school were in complete shambles. They were far from usable with less than two months to go before they were scheduled to be open for business.

“They haven’t even started construction, or secured funding on what should be a multi-million project,” Head explained after his initial tour of the school property.

“Needless to say, I seriously doubt we will be ready for students in April, but we’ll see. It doesn’t matter what we are all supposed to be doing here in the long term in the short term we’ll all be picking up hammers, brooms, and paint brushes and using some serious elbow grease to get this place going,” Head conveyed.

Father, give me the fortitude and tools I need to clean up the mud and messes facing my life or the life of someone close to me today.

“How broken and shattered is the hammer of the whole earth! How desolate is Babylon among the nations!” (Jeremiah 50:23)

“The big problem is that our headquarters is in Baghdad and most of the military leadership has no idea where we are working or what we are working with. They are driving a timeline to start on April 1, 2007, based on political and general officer demands, not the reality on the ground,” Major Brad Head explained of the challenges facing their mission to begin a training program for the Iraqi Air Force.

Air Force staff at headquarters in Baghdad thought the renovation of the designated Iraqi Air Force training buildings at Taji was complete. They were mistaken. The facilities were in shambles, with no electricity, functioning sewage, or water.