PERSPECTIVE

A friend is in Iraq and has made the following paraphrased comments:

I am assigned, for the second time, to the Persian Gulf area and have, under my command, about 40 men. It is a daunting responsibility to hold in my hands the lives of these individuals and I struggle to make those decisions that will best protect them in such dangerous circumstances. The weather has been unbearably hot, often exceeding 110 degrees in the afternoon; keeping hydrated is paramount. We work out of base camps and toil with forces from other units and countries. It is exhausting and often depressing labor and requires vigilance to stay positive. Morale is a key factor in avoiding mistakes and proves very difficult to maintain. Supplies are not always available and trying to “make do” can often leave us vulnerable.

We had discovered some enemy ordinance and followed designated procedures in exploding it safely, away from harm. One particular ordinance piece, however, was only half exploded and required removal to another location to be exploded safely. It required that I pick up the device, load it into a Humvee and bring it to another area for demolition. Disposing of a bomb always has a certain degree of risk and I must admit that I was extremely nervous, picking up the device and transporting it. I remember saying in my mind over and over, “don’t explode, don’t explode.” I thought of my family and friends back home praying for me and it somehow strengthened me for the task. After what seemed forever, I was able to properly dispose of the device.

We often imagine ourselves in control of our lives, but in situations like this, we realize that all we can do, after all we can do, is put our lives into the hand of God and pray that He will watch over us.