LETTER to ARMED FORCES SUPPORT COALITION--21 JUNE 2007

21JUN07

DOES YOUR VIDEO MATCH YOUR AUDIO?

“For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” James 2:26

James wrote these words as a way to hold early Christians accountable. Whether one is a Christian or not, it is easy to discover the folks who tend to say one thing and do another. As I like to say, their video does not match their audio.

Does our video match our audio when we say, regardless of what our position is concerning the war, that we support our troops? It is easy to slap a yellow ribbon on the back of a car, raise the flag, and proclaim loudly that one supports our soldiers, but it is entirely another thing to make a real sacrifice of time and money in order to support them. This is exactly what the Armed Forces Support Coalition (AFSC) of Durango, Colorado has done.

The AFSC has sent hundreds of boxes full of needed items to deployed soldiers. As the chaplain for the Third Battalion, Eighth Cavalry Regiment, I have received 20-30 boxes a week…for the last six months. The 800 soldiers that I serve have almost come to expect their weekly ration of goodies from the AFSC. Their charity, however, goes even further than that, for they have not only sent items for our soldiers to use but also for our soldiers to pass out to the Iraqi civilians, especially the children.

What individuals and/or groups participate in or belong to the AFSC? One would be surprised, like I was, at the political and social diversity of this organization. We have had several books stores, including those on the alternative side of the social spectrum, provide enough books for our battalion to have three separate libraries, one at each patrol base, for our soldiers. Individuals and organizations have sent much needed toiletry items for our men and women who do not live near a big base. They have sent stuffed toys, backpacks, and school supplies for our troopers to distribute to the Iraqi children in our area of operation, and they have done all this despite the wide-range of views concerning the overall purpose and rationale for this war.

Some might cynically scoff at these efforts to help soldiers and Iraqi civilians by saying that what the AFSC provides is but a drop in an ocean size bucket of need. In some ways they would be correct. I can tell you, however, that real, concrete benefits have come because some small businesses and organizations have taken the time to reach out to us.

The most important thing they have done is to communicate to our deployed troopers that they have not been forgotten. As the war has lengthened, one of my concerns is that we would be pushed aside by the Anna Nicole Smiths and the Paris Hiltons of the world. It would be easy and in some ways understandable for the average American to begin to disconnect from an emotional involvement in this conflict. When we continue to receive boxes, notes, items, and supplies, it says to us that we have not become a footnote in the minds of John and Jane Q. Public.

The second blessing the AFSC gives to us is the opportunity to help the Iraqi people on an individual level. One of the challenges of soldiering in any war is to fight the inevitable onset of emotional fatigue. It is easy to begin to see all people as the enemy, especially in this guerilla-war type setting. The simple act of giving a hospitalized, Iraqi child a beanie-baby helps us to rediscover the common humanity we all share, and it makes us less cold and formidable in the eyes of the local Iraqi people. An act of service grants both parties the ability to see each other’s humanity, which, quite frankly, is a gift from God, especially in a combat zone.

It is easy to find a message of hope in this quiet but powerful outreach. I am amazed at how nostalgia seems to plague all generations, from the “greatest generation” to the “flower children,” making them believe that they were the last ones to have any standards, whatever those standards were, or to do anything that was good and noteworthy. The willingness of our young men and women to make the sacrifice of service coupled with the support they receive from individuals and groups of all political stripes shows me that we still have some terrific people both in our country and in our military. The support we receive is also an act of subversion, for it shows the intellectual Brahmin of our society on both sides of the political spectrum that Americans are a little more sophisticated then suspected. Lastly, and most importantly, the support of the AFSC and groups like it will mean, no matter what the verdict given by historians on the need for and outcome of this war, an easier transition back home and back into society. While I am thankful for the help we have received, my heart is also sad when I think about the lack of support given to other veterans of earlier wars.

On behalf of the Troopers of the 3/8 Cavalry “Warhorse” Battalion, I would like to thank the Armed Forces Support Coalition for their efforts. It speaks volumes about the quality of your community and the values all her people espouse.

I can truly say that your video matches your audio.
CH (CPT) Kevin Wainwright
Warhorse Shepherd