"Where do we find men like these?"

The title line was a question asked by our Squadron Commander during a visit to BAF several days ago. Been a difficult week in this part of Afghanistan. The Summers are historically difficult here - and perhaps this one the more so, given the shift in focus from Iraq to Afghanistan, and given that the elections should take place this year. Nevertheless the Squadron is faring pretty well. We have suffered a few injuries, most minor - a couple, however, more significant.

Two outstanding Non Commissioned Officers were taken out of the fight in one attack. Had the opportunity to visit those men in Bagram, and that is when the aforementioned question was posed. There is no standard answer. These guys are the most sundry group you will ever meet. One of our Infantry platoons is comprised of a degreed philosopher, a Master of Political Science - with much experience in national level campaigns, at least one future missionary (possibly more), a couple of the most accomplished fishermen / outdoorsmen I have ever met . . . some of the most colorful characters imaginable, from all over the US, and a few from outside of it. Dickens could not have dreamed up a more eclectic group.

I was talking with another fine NCO a couple nights ago - and wondering aloud about the long-term success of the mission here. What a challenge, connecting these rural folks to their still nascent government. Rural is really not the word. The countryside is dotted with the tents of Cuchi's (sp?) - nomads who travel with tents strapped to the backs of camels; wives, children, sheep, dogs all in tow. The villages are folded between ridgelines, always along a stream - used for bathing, drinking, ceremonial washing (ablution - which occurs 5 times per Muslim per day), cooking, cleaning, watering crops, etc. Villages, in most cases, are pretty obviously peopled by an extended family or two - and not many more. Tribal disputes abound. Folks are still fighting over land disputes raised hundreds of years ago. These spats are often resolved with knives and guns (sadly, some areas of tribal life have progressed - mostly in the line of weaponry). Really, though, I don't guess they are ever 'resolved' - just quieted, passed to the next generation to take up again at an opportune time.

As you can imagine, these dynamics make this mission an extremely difficult one. Add to that the opportunists, like Chechnyans and Uzbeks who have come for the sole sake of engaging in 'jihad.' Its a very confused world out here. The constant, which has been made so cliche in every war movie since "The Longest Day" (which my wife refers to as "The Longest Movie"), is love for one another. As SSG F and I talked the other night, it just hit home again - that these men lead, and fight, and carry on here - not primarily out of hope that Afghanistan will change dramatically over the next year, but out of love for their brothers. Ideology sometimes doesn't last long, especially during a firefight. Love is an enduring motive.

Hopefully things will change here, though we all expect we may be talking more in terms of decades than years. The fight is a worthy one, the Taliban are as evil as they come - and have long enough tyrannized these poor folks with their hateful theology and their blood lust. If we see change during the course of this deployment it will be incremental at best. Really, the most we can hope is to continue to lay the groundwork for an internal uprising and wholesale rejection of the Taliban - from this population. You look around though, and realize just how disconnected these poor subsisters are - not just from the national government of Afghanistan, but from villages only miles away - and you just know the challenges are huge. Still these paratroopers press forward. Daily attending to the mission - and the driving force is love.

That was the tenor of the conversation of a few nights ago with one of our great squad leaders. That conversation was broken up as one of his guys came running to let us know that another platoon had struck an IED - and the Quick Reaction Force was ready to roll. So, we threw on body armor, and helmets, gloves and eye-pro, and rolled out - not knowing the extent of damage, worried about injuries. That, by the way, was the most intense drive I have been on yet. SGT N, who has a future as a 'get-away-driver' someday, ripped through the Wadis' like there was no tomorrow. I spent half the ride praying for the platoon in contact, and half just praying we would live through the ride to help them!

We arrived to find the large and heavily armored vehicle on its side - a gaping whole beneath it. The Mine Resistant vehicle had lived up to its reputation - everyone inside was ok - minus a broken leg and a couple of concussions. Really very minor injuries considering the size of the IED that hit them. By the time we arrived the injured soldiers had already been flown to the nearest hospital - and it turned out to be a long, quiet, reflective night. We spent it securing the area, recovering the damaged vehicle, interviewing the families in Qalats living alongside that stretch of road (of course, in spite of the fact that most windows looked down on the spot where this IED was buried - no one had any idea who could have emplaced it.

That evening, I prayed with many, cried with a couple - the cumulative anxiety of living in this place just kind of leaks out after a friend gets hurt. Still, I am amazed that these guys are so able to weigh out their feelings, be deeply angry, sometimes truly scared - and control their response. The Taliban, I suspect, if the tables were turned, would have burned the nearby village to the ground. Of course we are not here to create more enemies, or further brutalize these people - but you understand the sentiment to react is there! Nineteen and Twenty-something young men in this mix, and all able to respond with restraint, with professionalism, and in doing so - make the evil of our enemy all the more pronounced.

I sure do love these guys, and there is nowhere I would rather be at the moment. Ok - maybe that could use re-phrasing. I would rather be home with my pretty wife and great kids. I would rather be hooking into a King Salmon right now, and an egg-engorged Rainbow Trout a couple of months from now. So would all of these men. But given that they are here - that we have been called to be here, compelled by forces we don't control; given that - most would choose to remain.

You know - when we walked onto the airplane bound for the the Hospital in Germany last week; with the two NCO's wounded pretty significantly - their greatest expressed regret was not the extent of injury, but the fact that they would not be able to carry on with their brothers. Pretty incredible. I do not know the answer to the Commander's question - 'where do we find men like these?' - but I certainly thank the Lord Jesus for them.

Sunday Evening

Beautiful evening here in Paktya! Its been quite warm lately - throughout the day - but cools nicely in the evening. You know, there are a lot more stars in the sky than I used to notice in the lands of ambient light (lower 48 states). Surely there are a few remote places (probably all in Kansas) where you can see the Milky Way - but it sure is distinct out here.

Almost all of the COPs / FOBs out here are "blacked-out" at night. In fact, other than those in the big cities - Bagram, Kandahar, Jalalabad - I suspect that all are blacked-out. Makes for some interesting scenarios - and some very looong walks to your B-hut, when you have forgotten your light. About a week ago I stepped off the side of a walkway and over about a five foot drop! No damage done - but glad no one else was there to witness the event. One of our COPs had to begin marking air-conditioning units with chem-lights, after about the third set of stitches sewn into the heads and faces of soldiers 'finding' the units in the dark! Anyway, it has been a beautiful evening - cool, clear, stunning.

Short entry tonight - just wanted to drop a line and especially let all of you Cav families know that we will be hosting several marriage enrichment retreats on return to Anchorage. We will look for some great locations, nice accomodations - and you have my personal guarantee that the focus will be on "retreat." Plenty of free time for couples, families - our BDE Chaplain is committed to that concept and I am a glad passenger on that bandwagon.

So, anyway - he (BDE Chaplain) wrote today asking that all us Chaplain types report back our particular marriage enrichment training certifications. Among them, I included a few that are not on the Army approved list - such as, "Fly Fish Your Way to a Better Marriage" - my personal favorite; and - "Love at 200 or More Yards: a Guide to Communication and Restraining Orders." Ok - so maybe the last one isn't so funny. Some comments that sound humorous at midnight fail to impress the next day . . . this is probably one of those.

Alright enough nonsense I suppose. Hope you are all well.
May the grace and the peace of Christ be yours.
matthew

Where to Begin?

A rest after a looong walk through the mountains hunting enemy caches.
One of our leaders with his platoon's big find - a very large cache.
B Troop conducting a Shura - meeting with community leaders.
A religious materials table - with some of our new Good and Evil Bibles.  They went very fast - every one of them in the hands of a grateful soldier.  Thanks Chattanooga Valley!
Our Squadron Doctor gives toys to children during a patrol through a busy bazaar.

Well, once more I am apologizing for the delay in updating the blog.  Be sure it is not entirely laziness, frequent travel and lack of connectivity are always hindrances around here.

Been quite an eventful last few weeks around here.  Our soldiers have been increasingly engaged with the enemy, as we all expected they would be around this time of year.  You will be delighted to hear that, while we have sustained some damage to equipment - no injuries have resulted as yet.  That is not the case for the Taliban.  Several times over the last few weeks our soldiers have been ambushed in different regions across the Province; and in almost all of those incidents the Taliban, and the foreign fighters who aid them, have suffered.  I pray, these days, for decisive victories - and the hopeful result that perspective Taliban recruits will consider the futility of that decision.  

The good news is that our Task Force has continually interfaced with the communities we support.  This has emboldened public support and encouraged many Afghans, who otherwise would have kept quiet for fear of Taliban reprisal, to turn over information about bomb-makers, weapons caches, etc.  Just last week, one of our great platoons, acting on such a tip, uncovered a very large cache - one of the largest (I think) found in this part of the country!  

You can imagine that this was a day of celebration and praise, as it is certain that the explosives and munitions found were intended for use against our soldiers, the Afghan government, and any civilian that supports either.  One soldier commented, while removing an IED kit from the hole, "this one might have had my name on it."

Still seems to me that setting IED's is one of the most cowardly acts imaginable.  Worse, I hear reports that the majority of suicide bombers are recruited from the drug infested slums of Pakistan.  So called "religious leaders" convert these poor souls, first by way of deception - holding out the hope that the addict can be rehabilitated.  Then, on arrival at the "rehabilitation center," these men (and sometimes women) are reminded how vile they are in the eyes of God - and encouraged to redeem themselves in Jihad.  I do not know how long this whole process takes - presumably for some, it is a very short distance from the slum, to the terrorist training ground, to the grave.  That this continues to occur in the name of the Creator is beyond sickening.  

Certainly this practice sickens many in Islam too - but my question is, can anyone even imagine such conduct in the Name of Christ?  I cannot.  Speaking of which, I have dear friend here who is an Afghan convert to the Lord Jesus.  He has been "in the light," as he will say, for about the last three years.  His testimony is powerful - and his commitment to Christ is unswerving.  Just last night he shared that story again - and a precious soul was saved.  After the meeting -  a weekly soldier-led Bible study - one soldier hung around to tell me that it was time that Jesus was Lord of his life too!  Thanks be to our loving and merciful God!  

Sadly, this meeting with our Afghan translator turned Christian, had to be somewhat secretive.  It is, after all, a crime in Afghanistan for a local man or woman to convert to Christ.  That crime carries with it the penalty of death.  And while my friend is prepared and willing to die for the Name of Jesus - we are in no hurry to hasten the day!  He is the one who first spoke to me saying, "if the government will once get it's foot off the necks of the people - you will see them leave Islam by the thousands."  

While you continue to pray for us - for our protection, and that the Lord will use this year to build us spiritually - please, let's pray all the more that the freedom finally won here will be a seed-bed for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

grace and peace to you all today!

matthew

Back again . . .

A Paratrooper improves a fighting position.
Traveling by Gator to lead Easter Worship at an observation post.  Great day.
Easter Worship service in the new Combat Outpost.
Remembering / Proclaiming our Lord's sacrifice together.

Sorry so long without posting.  

Been a great deal of travel lately, though that is nothing new.  We have spent a lot of time in locations without much in the way of connectivity.  So - here I am up north again, at the only location we have with consistently reliable internet service.  So much time has gone by - hard to know where to start - and as usual, not a lot of time to write.  

One of our Troops conducted a very successful campaign - assuming control of a piece of high-value real estate once under the authority of the Taliban.  The anticipated battle for the terrain did not develop (Thanks be to God!) - though our Warriors were prepared for the worste.  So, we spent Easter weekend putting up Hesco barriers and developing a defensible combat outpost, from which we will certainly conduct more patrols deeper into reported enemy strongholds.  

Early intelligence reports suggested a much greater resistance than we found on arrival.  Word on the street is that the insurgents left when it was certain that we were coming.  Another very significant answer to prayer - we expected the roads to be IED saturated, but four days of rain prior to the mission made emplacement of them extremely difficult.  The one or two that we did encounter (the day after) were discovered prior to detonation.  I think, all total, we received three of four poorly aimed rockets - none of which posed any real danger to our soldiers.

And now, the sad news.  A couple of days after the emplacement of the new COP - some of our Afghan Army brethren hit an IED which killed two and significantly wounded two others.  Our soldiers responded immediately, and won the gratitude and respect of the ANA (Afghan National Army) and the folks living in the nearby village.  Certainly a tragic day for all of us - and we continue to pray for the families of these soldiers, and the resolve to ensure victory and a lasting peace in return for the payment of lost lives.

Ok - so this was a very short post.  I will update later.  Before I go though, want to say thank you very much to all who have sent packages, books, items to distribute to our Cavalry Scout Paratroopers!  Thanks so much to all of the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Centers who have taken up our support.  Believe me - our Warriors are grateful.   Thanks again to the Caravan Kids!  - package #2 is waiting for me back at my home FOB.  Thank you Bill and Hermina for the package - what would a deployment be without a box from Hermina?  Thanks to Nana and Papa for the frisbee!  Played my first game of Ultimate here yesterday - and think I might have really hurt my ankle.  No surprise right!  I have been limping all day - but mostly hiding it well, I think.  Thanks very much to my "partner in the Gospel" Mike - you are a one of a kind friend - and I know, a true asset to the Army Chaplaincy!  The books are great - and the DVD too.  I have passed out a couple of the books - and been promised that they will be returned.  :-)  I have received cards and letters of encouragement from so many folks that I would certainly miss someone if I listed them all here.  All of you are very dear to me.  

Of course - I am so very proud and so very thankful to God for my incredible wife - without which, my life would lack the direction that it has.  Not to take away from the Lord - but it is so clear to me that He has most directly led me through Jamie's influence.  She is a treasure.  One of a kind.  

Ok, enough sap I suppose!  

grace and peace to you all - from our Risen Lord Jesus.

matthew

ramblngs

Not sure how to communicate the experience of the last few days. Weather has been terrible - which prevents operations, and some that are of great importance to the long term success of the mission in Paktya. So, there has been a good deal of waiting around - to be sure, taking care of details, upgrading living conditions on the COPS, etc.
For me personally, these last few days have been a time of questioning - specifically, what will I do long term, what is the best course for my family and I in service to the Lord - and general care for one another. Some elements of this ministry are especially hard for me. Like most, I really like having a 'mission.' I realize that ministry, evangelism, bearing witness to the Lord - that is a mission - but one that, for most, is exercised in the context of daily life - in and with the folks with whom we work, sleep, eat, play. It is very much the same in the Army, with the exception (for a chaplain) - that I have to find opportunities to involve myself in the daily lives of soldiers - I have to, sometimes, create them.

In that sense, there is no 'finished product' for me after a day of work. Granted - there are moments - especially after providing especially needed counsel to a soldier - or praying with another for forgiveness and Christ's Lordship - established in his heart, those are moments for which I would not trade anything. Then there are days when I have to 'look' for work - when the military mission is the priority - and the role of the chaplain is to pray - certainly a vital role - but one that sometimes feels like an afterthought, or - maybe more accurately - one that is difficult to justify as employment. I feel sometimes like I am missing the satisfaction of a mission completed - and I don't wonder that most chaplains struggle with this from time to time. This can be the absolute best job in the world, and sometimes the most frustrating.

Very difficult to put words to my feelings. If I were C.S. Lewis - I am sure that I could word this in such a way that you would all be able to immediately comprehend and relate. You know - I am sure that a lot of folks would say, 'I can't imagine what the problem could be! The government is paying you to witness to Christ - and to those who are in perhaps the greatest need of that witness!'
I completely understand that sentiment - still, wonder sometimes if it would not be better to be paid for a product - and the witness to Christ part be free, wrought of love - for Christ . . . not the paycheck. Still, I would do this work (for now) if the Army paid me as an E4 - it is not the money for which any chaplain serves (at least, not at first).

Sometimes too, there is the fear that we are moving more and more toward some grand equivocation - where all religion is considered to have the same end, and thereby equally worthy of acceptance. I understand fully that, a big part of my existence in the military is to support the free exercise of religion of our soldiers - regardless of their bent and conviciton. Still, at this point, I do that because Christ has given all of us freedom of will - I do not do that out of compulsion that just any faith, other than the one faith rooted in Jesus, is worth pursuing. But ours is not a religion like Islam - compulsory - nor has our Lord ever approved of an evangelism that is not grounded in freedom and love. Still - doesn't it seem like the direction of things is more and more toward a toleration that bleeds over into syncretism? I think the day may come when many chaplains will have to choose between allegiance to our Lord Christ and allegiance to the State and a paycheck.

Well, a little over a month and a half have gone by - and this seems to be the time that things start to get hard, at least in the short term. The newness of deployment is dissipating- and through the thinning mist, we can just make out the mountain of days we will climb before the outline of home is visible. I think the next month will be hard for all of us - and a time for consideration too - of what the Lord will do - what He wants to do in our lives. Please Lord Jesus, use this time to speak Your will clearly - and by the grace of difficult days - make us responsive. You never looked for 'work' in the sense that I do Lord, but You dedicated Yourself to the Father, spending your days with Him - and Your life was broken bread for us. Lord Jesus - that our experience of life and work would be the same - dedicated to You, consumed by You, broken bread in Your hands.

Big Thanks to Chattanooga Valley Nazarene Caravan!!

Thank you very much for the great gift packs for soldiers!

As always - you guys amaze me with your persistent generosity and love.  I am grateful to you - and the Warriors of Team Paktya send their thanks too!  To all who are curious - the bags were packed with a great assortment of nuts, cookie packs, jerky (always a favorite), a variety of candy, a letter from Pastor Jon, and cards from the kids (which were great by the way).  The packages went very fast!  I brought the box into the Tactical Operations Center and the little morale / welfare / recreation room they've got up here and it was empty in about 30 seconds! :-)  

So - I am just guessing at the journey this box has taken . . .

- Left Flintstone, GA some several weeks ago - via what I am sure was a very interesting route, it eventually arrived in Bagram, Afghanistan - probably loaded onto a C-130 and flown somewhere south of Paktya, before loading onto a CH-47 Helicopter - to finally arrival at my FOB in Paktya (not that I own any property there).  The package was delivered to the FOB Chapel via Gator; then I carried it back to the airfield - loaded it onto the aforementioned (previous blog) Puma - and carted it off to the COP on which I am currently located.

Wow!  What a journey!  But I'll bet the care and concern with which it was sent far outdistances the miles travelled.  Don't know how I have come to be blessed with such friends - but I am very grateful to the Lord for you all!  So - again - thanks Pastor Jon, Mrs. Libby and all your great Caravan Leaders - and especially all you great kids!  You guys are the best!  Thanks too for the book Nathan (I am already reading it) - and for the personal notes - sure do miss you all.

grace and peace to you guys,

matthew

Living Gospel

Hanging out up north again today.  Very glad to be back out on the road!  Also - very much missing my Chaplain Assistant, tending to family for a bit.  Flew in this morning on what is known as a PAW flight (Presidential Air-Ways).  These are civilian pilots (sometimes Russian) flying French made rotary-wing aircraft; at least, I believe they are French made.  Not at all a bad flight really - fairly roomy and smooth ride; and the large windows are nice.  Below, were miles of mountains, streams (though none looked likely to contain a trout population), bright green fields, tall-thin hardwoods serve as boundaries between them.  High-walled mud Qalats are everywhere; some house large fields - where nothing yet grows, others serve as something like family compounds.  I imagine that, in many cases, several extended families share a Qalat - they seem to be subdivided for that purpose.   

The fields are mostly located at the base of the mountains - where the intermittent streams meet wider waters of the valley expanse.  Beyond that, the rocky, sparsely-treed mountains rise abruptly, and the streams are lost from view within their folds.  Trails web the lower hills within the valleys - children traverse them, presumably between Qalats, or on their way back from the mountains with firewood.  Women walk the fields in single file, balancing oversized baskets on their heads, or pots - usually with only one hand raised for support.  The pots are typically brightly colored - but no match for the women's dresses.  When we travel the roads, we are reminded not to watch the locals, especially the women . . . not that there is much risk, all eyes tend to be fixed directly ahead - scanning for potential IED sites, command wires, etc.  So - flight provides the best means of satisfying curiosity. 

I am back on a COP (combat out-post) where our medics have daily provided support to the local populace.  I mentioned in an earlier post, that - last week, these men did everything in their power to save a severely burned young girl.  She finally died, about 10 hours after our soldiers had received her and begun treatment.  It has been a very difficult few days for these men - who are very much heroes in my eyes.  

Still, our Living God works all things together for good.  Word of the compassion and care these men displayed has spread for miles, and a steady flow of visitors come to meet the senior medic, to offer their gratitude - and teary-eyed hugs.  They have heard how these men stayed by her side all night, how they fought desperately for her life, how sincerely they cried with her father - and how tenderly they helped prepare her for burial.  Truly - the Name of our Lord was glorified because of their example - and many who are ignorant of our Christian ethic wondered at the spirit that motivated such love.  Thanks be to God - who has received this child into His eternal Kingdom, and who makes men "well pleased to impart not only the Gospel of God, but also their own lives."