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

Yet in light of this event, we were reminded of the nature of this conflict and our purpose for being here. The enemy we seek to stop has shown its true colors with the brutal and horrid decapitation of Nick Berg (added to the desecrations in Fallujah in April, and many other examples). Debates will continue to be conducted over the legitimacy of this war, and history’s story will be written. Yet God alone can determine its legitimacy. However, I cannot help but feel that God-fearing people, and humanity at large, must rise up against such evil as we see in this enemy. If not, then we all lose. As we reflect back sixty years ago to the largest single invasion of all of history at Normandy, we remember “the greatest generation” did precisely this. They knew not what they would find months later in the concentration camps; but when they saw the evil, they had a increased sense of their purpose and legitimacy. More and more, we are finding the same here.

Lord, may my life represent and honor Christ to all those around me.

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)

In October 2004, we had a Naturalization Ceremony, where thirty-four U.S. soldiers from twenty-two nations became U.S. citizens. Until now, all Naturalization Ceremonies took place on U.S. soil by law. But President Bush signed a new law, effective October 1, 2004, which allows soldiers serving in a deployed location to be naturalized on the soil where they serve. Foreigners can join our military, pledging to support and defend (and die for) the Constitution of a nation not their own. Why would someone want to do that? Is it that in spite of our many frailties as a nation, we offer something that no one else does? From the stories of these soldiers, I believe so.

Undersecretary Aquirre, head of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, himself a naturalized American citizen, said in his remarks that because of the obvious increase of the threat of major violence against America and Americans worldwide, you’d think that immigration would have dipped in the last few years. We are being ostracized by “friends” and abandoned by “allies,” but individuals are still streaming in ever-increasing numbers to join the hope, and to literally fight for the dream that America promises.

To see the faces of those thirty-four soldiers; to hear the pride in their voices when they took their oath; to see the tears flowing down their cheeks humbled me greatly. To hear the power and meaning in their words when they said the Pledge of Allegiance (including a lusty “UNDER GOD”), made tears flow down my cheeks. And I realized then and there, we still have a future, and God willing, we still have a bright future. The hopes and dreams that made America (out of a bunch of immigrants) two-plus centuries ago, is still here.

The country debates whether this war is worth it. I think the good I see happening, though hidden by the spectacular tragedies, makes me say yes. But when I see the power of purpose in the faces of new Americans in whom our future resides, then I know beyond the shadow of any doubt, yes it’s worth it. And I am proud.

Lord, help me appreciate more fully the great freedoms I have in America, but even more so, the freedom I have in Christ.

“Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the King.” (1 Peter 2:17)

It was like an episode of M*A*S*H when the evacuation helicopters landed. There were five casualties: four serious and one dead. I called for chaplain backup, and three more chaplains arrived shortly.

Chaplains are vital parts of the emergency medical team, but they have to know how to stay out of the way of the medical folks. Usually that means that they are positioned at the head of the patient where they can easily speak comfort to him or pray with him. The chaplain can also assist some of the medical procedures by getting things from the tray or holding something for the medics but mainly they keep focused on the patient.

My soldier had a seriously broken arm, a collapsed lung, and was covered in blood from the many pieces of shrapnel he’d taken. He was conscious, so I continued to engage him in conversation, including prayer, while the medics worked on him. He said he’d been hit twice. He was in his room when he was hit first. Bleeding, he went outside to get help when another round and hit him again.

We as chaplains have to maintain the peace of God in our own lives so that peace flows over to the ones we minster to so they’re not as anxious. I felt that very strongly and that’s what I was doing. There were about five or six times during that year where I was actively engaged in ministering to dramatically injured soldiers and in each case, I was the calming effect, not only to soldiers injured, but also the young soldiers who were the medics that were traumatized by all the ordeal. Some of these medics running the clinics were only eighteen to twenty years old. They’d been in college and were in a Reserve unit when their unit was called up. The aftercare was taking care of those folks. It was deeply rewarding ministering to them and helping keep them focused on the value that they give the good they do in ministering to the broken bodies of soldiers.

Lord, cultivate in me a spirit which seeks to encourage others as they strive to serve you with their gifts.

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

With the ambulance gone, the majority of the medical team went straight to work cleaning the clinic there was a lot of blood and getting it ready to receive more casualties if and when another incident occurred. They must be ready twenty-four hours a day. What heroes they are.

The other few set about to process the remains of the one soldier killed. I assisted them. The soldier was Sergeant Dima, a Romanian who came to the U.S. a few years ago. He hailed from New Jersey and joined the Army Reserves after 9/11 a member of 411 thConstruction Management Section of the 420 thEngineer Brigade. He became a citizen on October 3, 2004; was promoted to sergeant on the morning of November 13 and gave his life for his new country on the evening November 13.

Every soldier has a story; Sgt. Dima has become part of mine. There is something spiritual about kneeling and laying hands on the broken, bloody body of a soldier, praying for his soul and the three young children he was leaving in the care of his now single wife. It is somber and sobering to see the deep respect the medics have as they treat the remains of a fallen comrade. After we finished the preparation, I was honored to pull back the curtain and call the clinic to attention as the medics moved Sgt. Dima to a holding area, awaiting initial transportation to start his way back home. Every person was silent, prayerful, respectful. It takes people with some kind of moxie to do their job as medics, day in and day out, mostly taking care of our little aches and pains, but always ready for the worst. And when the worst comes, so does their best. I thank God that this is the ministry he placed in my hand. We gathered everyone in the clinic together, and I asked one of my Air Force chaplains to offer a prayer for these servants of health. It was well appreciated.