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

While Commander Thomson oversaw the practical preparations and operations for loading the USS Boxer and its 2,900 crewmembers, he also looked to the Great Shepherd and a loving community to care for the wife and son he was leaving behind.

Thank you for your practical provisions for my most basic needs.

“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.” (Psalm 23:1)

“Several events occurred between February and June 2003, while I was in and around Iraq that brought home to me the awesome power of God and how he works through his people,” Commander Rob Thomson explained of his deployment to Iraq.

The USS Boxer arrived in the North Arabian Gulf the third week of February 2003. Thomson spent the next month preparing for battle in Iraq by pre-staging equipment and supplies in Kuwait. No one knew when the war would start, but they had to be ready when the call came. The plan was to send the Marines aboard the USS Boxer into Iraq through helicopters aboard the ship. Thomson’s job was to plan and execute operations. Electronic communications proved invaluable.

“We did a lot of coordinating in chat rooms. I never experienced that way of operating before. Each area of operations had a chat room. So I would pull up about four to six chat rooms and watch as the operation’s logistics unfolded in near real time,” he said.

Although not useful for developing battle plans, chat rooms proved highly effective for executing operations “because it allowed a large volume of information to pass easily and quickly and bypass rigid command structure. Information just went out,” he said.

Electronic communication also allowed Thomson to keep up with his family in San Diego. Through emails, Thomson learned how his wife Kinuko was doing. One day after taking Alex to therapy, Kinuko came home and found dinner on her doorstep. Ladies from their church supplied her with meals nearly every day during Thomson’s absence. One church member with a knack as a handyman consistently offered his services, which gave Kinuko peace of mind if something broke at the house.

However, even in a world brought closer through instant communication, snail mail brought some of the most soothing words of support.

“I received countless cards and letters from friends and relatives all over the world.”

What stood out to Thomson was how personal these letters were. He received cards and letters from relatives he hadn’t seen in years, members of their churches, and people he didn’t know. He received church bulletins with his name printed in them. People weren’t just promising to pray for the troops. They were praying for him by name.

“This was tremendously uplifting. I received an indescribable peace in the midst of the chaos of war knowing that thousands of people were praying for me by name. It was a comforting feeling knowing that all of those people were lifting me up to the Almighty God.”

Thank you for guiding me and embracing me by name. Direct me to the name of a service member so I may pray for them by name.

“He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:2–3)

When the invasion began, helicopters from the USS Boxer carried hundreds of Marines into Southern Iraq. Navy Commander Rob Thomson’s job was to oversee the planning and executing of operations, particularly supplies. Helicopters would fly food, water, and equipment from the ship to ever-expanding places on the ground in Iraq. While these operations unfolded in a relatively orderly manner, one intelligence report proved to be particularly disruptive.

“Shortly after the war started as we were bringing supplies from the waters of the Northern Arabian Gulf, we got word that small Iraqi patrol boats had been sighted sowing mines in the waters near us,” Thomson explained.

An inspection of these captured Iraqi patrol boats revealed disturbing information. Although many mines were on board these boats, there were also empty spaces, indicating missing mines. Most likely these mines had been dropped into the sea. Floating mines aren’t anchored and can go anywhere. Even if the captured Iraqis had been willing to tell where they had dropped the mines, they couldn’t possibly know where the mines had drifted.

Floating mines are spherical objects, about four to five feet in length, with little horns. When broken by making contact with an object, such as a ship, the horns set off a chemical reaction causing the sphere to explode. One mine could sink an entire ship. Mines can float in the water for years. A floating mine struck the USS Tripoli in the same waters in 1991.

“Even with all our modern technology, floating mines are virtually undetectable. So I knew from that point on, that my ship could strike a mine in the middle of the night and it could be my last night on earth.” The thought most pressing on Thomson’s mind was simply: “Who would take care of my family?”

Because the information was classified, Thomson couldn’t talk about it with his wife.

“Then it hit me. The One who was taking care of my family now during this present crisis would continue to take care of them whether I returned or not. God is faithful,” Thomson reflected.

Psalm 23 was particularly comforting to Thomson during this time. Knowing that he was walking “or sailing” through the valley of the shadow of death, he chose not to fear evil and turned to God’s rod and staff the Scriptures for guidance.

You are faithful. I need you to be my strength and comfort today.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)

About one hundred, mostly senior leadership, of the 2,900 military personnel assigned to the USS Boxer were aware of the classified intelligence reports of the floating mines. Navy Commander Rob Thomson, however, soon found himself participating in a mission so secret, only a handful knew about it. Not even the ship’s admiral was aware of it until it was over. This operation was the rescue of Private Jessica Lynch.

Nineteen-year-old Jessica Lynch was a supply clerk with the United States Army’s 507 thMaintenance Company. After making a wrong turn into enemy territory, her convoy was ambushed near Nasiriyah, northwest of Basra, on March 23, 2003. Eleven of the soldiers died, and five were later rescued. Iraqis captured the injured Lynch and took her to a nearby hospital.

Thomson first heard about the attack through intelligence reports. The whole world, however, soon learned about her captivity through video shown on Al Jazeera. Like many others, Thomson wondered what it would be like to be that young and alone in a hospital in a hostile country.

“I thought of that poor young woman, alone and afraid, and was glad that I got to participate in the planning and execution of her rescue. I imagined her losing hope as she lay there broken in body and spirit and prayed for God to be with her,” Thomson explained.

When Thomson learned they were going to plan the rescue operation, his sense of urgency increased for this dangerous “smash and grab” mission. The helicopters took off from the USS Boxer , picked up Special Forces on the ground, took them to the hospital, where the forces broke in, grabbed Lynch, and took her back to the helicopters and into safety.