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

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.

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 17 thSurgeon 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)

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 immediate 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.

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)

My experience in special operations is much like many who are in combat now. You see the worse the world has to offer. When you see that, your faith is often challenged. You ask questions like, “Why did this happen? Why are all these children dead? Why are there suicide bombers?” All of us have those questions. With our mantra being to liberate the oppressed, you feel a sense of responsibility to make things better for people. We euphemistically call that doing the Lord’s work. We are there to do what’s right, just, moral and ethical.

Now that I was in an administration that set policy, my conflict was trying to align the role of liberator with the political challenges of being in a foreign country. Individually we are there for the right reason. When you’re older and have been around long enough to reflect, you understand at some level we are simply the extension of political policy for our nation. That is where faith comes into, “Would God put me here if it wasn’t right?”

“Freedom” is a word that conjures up a lot of images for us. For most of us it means freedom to worship, to go to school, to travel, to get an education. It means freedom to pursue life and to maximize your potential to benefit society. Those are things Iraqis have little knowledge of. Bringing freedom to others is a valiant struggle but it’s also quite complicated especially with the political struggles these countries face. From a soldier’s standpoint you feel a sense of righteousness, a moral and ethical drive that you’re there for the right reason. When you get to the politics, it makes it more convoluted.

Freedom is a desired goal for most people. It’s defined differently throughout the world. We need to fully understand the cultures that we’re embedding ourselves in. Our vision of freedom is not always shared by other cultures.

Dear God, thank you that you so love the world. You don’t desire any to perish. Instead, you want all to come to repentance. Please save men and women, youth and children from every continent, nation, and people group. We pray this for your eternal glory, honor, and praise.

“This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3–4)