DIGIJOURNAL 005--25 NOV 2006

DATELINE: 25NOV06 PB PALIWODA

Dear Friends,

Much has happened since my last entry, so much in fact that I do not know how to put it all together. In order to make it simple for everyone, I will try to list things, in no particular order, in bullet format.

Thanksgiving
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at Patrol Base (PB) Paliwoda. It was great for two reasons: (1) our cooks and not contractors made turkey, ribs, steak, ham, greens, green beans, shrimp cocktail, fried shrimp, pies, ice cream, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, yams, stuffing, gravy, bread, and other things I cannot remember (2) we spent it with our other family, our Army family. I never get too down when I spend an important holiday away from home. I have spent so many away from my family that I have lost count, but no one should feel sorry for me. I get my motivation from watching how other soldiers come together to help one another out. There is a long-standing tradition that the officers and senior enlisted serve the troops on special days. Myself, the commander (LTC Kevin Dunlop aka “The Long Man”), and the S3 (MAJ James Throckmorton) served. I had the stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy, which few soldiers were taking. I assured them that they contained zero calories and carbs, and then I shamed their sense of patriotism for not having stuffing. As always, they found it rather easy to blow off the chaplain. I had fun, got a few laughs, and gained more esteem for our cooks. The other nice thing about Thanksgiving is that everyone was an American for a day. We invited our Iraqi Army counterparts, our interpreters, and our local shop owner to join us. They loved the food, although they were hesitant at first. At least I was able to get them to eat the stuffing.

Christmas Trees
I am tracking that three full-size Christmas trees are on the way for our soldiers. If anyone would like to speak for any more, we could use four more full-size trees with the lights and decorations. We have a Special Forces detachment that lives on our base. They are out of Florida, and I told them that I would try to get them a tree. We have a Civil Affairs detachment that lives near us, a military training team out of Arkansas that works with the Iraqi Army, and our First Sergeant would like a tree to put outside in the common areas. I know it is asking for a great deal, but if someone feels motivated it would be greatly appreciated.

NYFD
Our Civil Affairs detachment is out of NYC. CPT Anthony Coppola is in charge. He is a great guy and a Fordham grad. He also gets the sympathy vote for being one month away from ever being recalled again when Uncle Sugar called him up, putting his life and wedding on hold. He is obnoxious, hilarious, professional, and a great guy to have around. He told me that DeWitt Clinton High School (where my Dad went) is right across from Fordham. (Dad, is that correct?) The team’s most fascinating member is SGT Cummins, a 43 year old Irishman who came to NYC when he was 22. SGT Cummins has been a member of the NYFD for eleven years, and he was there when the Towers went down. He lost 17 guys from his firehouse, and the only reason he did not perish was that he stopped at the firehouse before heading downtown. He wanted to be in Iraq to help the people, which says a great deal about him and the community that produced him. I sat for four hours, drinking tea, listening to his stories. He is like Forrest Gump--he has met everyone and done everything.

IEDed
I would define the trifecta of combat experience over here like this: receiving direct fire (i.e. gunfire), indirect fire (mortars), and an Improvised Explosive Device. During my last tour, fortunately, I neither encountered an IED attack nor received direct fire, and, while I was not the most traveled guy in the battalion, I did get out quite a bit. I did witness the impact of an incoming mortar attack. The closest blast was 250 meters away, thus, with the effective blast radius of a mortar usually being fifty meters, I was not in any great danger. Paul and I get out a great deal because we have soldiers in three different locations. We try to make visits every week. During our last trip down to LSA Anaconda, a terrorist detonated an IED between the vehicle in front of us and our vehicle. Again, we were blessed, because no one was hurt and no vehicle incurred damage. We responded according to our training, and the combat patrol leadership did a good job of doing the right things. The entire thing was rather surreal. The bomb (probably a mortar shell) left a five foot crater in the road. My prayer is that I do not complete the trifecta during this tour.

Boxes and More Boxes
Thank you, thank you, and thank you to all who have been sending us stuff. We have been able to get it distributed to our soldiers. I am taking pictures, but you should see the faces of our guys when I come around. Pretty soon they are going to start calling me Santa. I always stress that the stuff is not because of me but because of you. What really touches them is that they have not been forgotten, no matter what they read or hear in the news.

Chaplain Kamal
Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to meet my counterpart in the Iraqi Army, CH Kamal. He is the only chaplain in the Iraqi Army. We sat down to chai tea (which I could drink forever) and discussed things that we could do together in our area. He is a Shia, and we talked about that as well. While some in the media may paint a picture of the Shia and Sunni at each other’s throats, the truth is somewhat more complex. CH Kamal said that the two groups have lived peacefully side by side for decades. They have intermarried and work in the same places. Some even worship in the same mosques together. This internecine warfare is really a glorified land and power grab that has little to do with religion (see Northern Ireland). The outside insurgents want to stir up trouble between the communities. Our job is to prevent that from happening while showing the Iraqis how they can protect themselves. I look forward to more chats with him and the possibility of he and I doing some local service projects together.

Lunch with the "Long Man"
Our battalion commander is 6’4” tall. When he stands next to the Iraqis, he looks like a giant, and, because of this, they have begun to refer to him as “The Long Man.” Two weeks ago I volunteered Paul and me for a combat patrol into the city of Balad, a primarily Shia city very friendly to us. When we arrived, Warhorse 6 (WH6 is the radio call sign for our commander) drafted me to be his “aide” so I could jump in with him on the lunch. We were at the radio station where he delivered his weekly address. I had taken off my cross, trying to look captain-ish, but WH6 kept referring to me as “chaplain,” blowing my cover. After the address and the obligatory meet and greet with the local city council, we sat down for a huge, 10 dish, home-made Iraqi meal. I have mentioned in previous letters about how hospitable the Iraqis can be. I also mentioned the customs of eating out of a communal dish, washing your hands after you eat, and breaking apart your neighbor’s food and handing it to them. Well, since I was still recovering from the food poisoning I contracted the last time I ate (it was the fresh vegetables washed in Iraqi water), I tried to slip away, but the Long Man snagged me. We sat down, and I tried to remember the lag time between eating and the gastrointestinal nightmare that inevitably follows, hoping I would get back in time to take some Imodium (by the way, whoever invented the stuff should get the Noble Prize). The problem with me is that I love Middle Eastern food, and these dished were prepared by the councilmen’s wives. They did something unusual in that they gave us spoons. As I was sitting there eating away, contented by my lot in life, the Long Man leaned over and gave me the instructions that would make this meal an even more interesting, dynamic experience. For you see, I am very left handed when it comes to eating, and I eat left handed, but in Arab culture the left hand is the unclean hand (I leave it to your imagination in the land of no toilet paper how that appendage received its designation). If you eat communally, the left hand is a no-no. So in one simple movement of the spoon from my left hand to my right, I went from a dexterous, suave, “European” style foodie to my two year old son. As I attempted to use my right hand, I found myself dribbling rice all over the place. The only solution I could come up with was to lift the spoon, hold it steady, and then move my whole head towards the spoon to take a bite. While our hosts were gracious, I am sure they thought, in the words of my Command Sergeant Major, that I “had done lost my mind.” After the meal, we adjourned for chai tea, which I drank while ignoring the rumblings in my stomach, and I watched WH6 “dance like a butterfly and sting like a bee” while he spoke with the council. After a few hours, we returned to base (and in time for Mr. IM), and I watched Paul and he watched me, expecting me to disintegrate into a whimpering pile of jelly, wanting my blankie and my mommie. I must say that I enjoyed the afternoon, and I am very fortunate to have a commander who includes me in his activities and, more importantly, supports my ministry.

Signing Off
Well, I have spent too much time already writing this. I should be working on my sermon. You are too gracious for reading all my blab and rant. Please keep our soldiers and the Iraqi people in your prayers. They are doing great things. And we thank you for your support.

Gratia et Veritas
Warhorse Archangel

DISPATCH 008--21 NOV 2006

“Joseph said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.’ And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.”

Genesis 50:19-21

Joseph wrote these words in response to his older brothers who were concerned for their safety and the safety of their children. They had reason to be afraid. Joseph had been rather bold as a youth, even to the point of sharing with his brothers the dreams he had about his family. In these dreams, it was apparent that Joseph one day would be the most powerful and influential of them all. Well, as you can imagine, this did not sit too well with his ten older siblings. One day, after traveling a great distance, Joseph met them in the fields where they were tending to their father Jacob’s flocks. Evil got the better of the older brothers, and after deciding against murdering Joseph, they instead sold him into slavery.

Thus began an interesting chain of events for the brash young man. Once he his father’s favorite, he now found himself traveling in a caravan on his way to the slave markets in Egypt. Sold to an important member of the king’s, or Pharaoh’s, staff, Joseph grew in stature until his boss’s wife made a pass at him that he refused. The spurned woman turned on Joseph and accused him of attacking her. Betrayed once again, Joseph found himself thrown in prison, probably thankful for his life, and hanging out with Pharaoh’s chief baker and butler, who were in trouble with the king. One thing led to another, and because of Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams, he found himself placed before Pharaoh to explain the king’s dreams. Giving all the credit to God, Joseph correctly interpreted the dreams; and, impressed by the youth’s connection with God, Pharaoh made him his second in command, placing him in charge of the collection of surplus crops in order to prepare for the coming famine, the famine Joseph correctly predicted from the dreams.

Meanwhile, Joseph’s very guilty brothers had returned to their father. They lied to him and told him that a wild animal attacked his son. Heartbroken and inconsolable, their father was never the same. When famine gripped the land, they traveled to Egypt, for they heard that the wise Pharaoh had stored food to sell. When they met Joseph again, they did not recognize their brother, but he recognized them. Now was an interesting time in the history of Israel, in the history of the world. Would Joseph seek revenge, or would he seek mercy?

As we read from the above passage, after testing his brothers, Joseph granted mercy and did not seek vengeance. Vengeance, like all lies, entices those who seek her with the promise of satisfaction and justice. Lies are just the truth slightly twisted, and this lie is no different. Retribution is a self-breeding vice, a journey down a path that never ends. As soldiers, we have seen the effects of vengeance and its wicked offspring of mistrust, hatred, and bitterness. As soldiers, we are facing the giant task of teaching in both word and deed that the way things in Iraq have been done in the past is not the way it has to be.

One of the most important qualities of our nation’s soldiers, your family members, is that they day after day still bring a sense of hope to their vocation: hope for themselves and the Iraqi people. To be sure, we have cynics in our ranks, but, for the most part, the vast majority of us hopes and secretly prays that our attempt to sow peace will take root and grow.

I spoke with soldiers at Patrol Base (PB) O’Ryan, and they shared with me how impressed they were with their Iraqi Army counterparts. They told me of the Iraqis' desire to learn and to execute their mission to do the dangerous and important work to keep their country safe. Our soldiers had seen their Iraqi neighbors weep for joy when they heard that Saddam was convicted of his genocidal war crimes. The tears were not for vengeance, but shed in hopes that, in the words of one of the Iraqi soldiers, “my children will one day play on the streets of my hometown, play without fear, just as I did thirty years ago as a young boy.”

We have heard many voices openly questioning our resolve and our need to stay in Iraq. Our military families, with the numerous deployments to our war zones, have paid a high price for the service their family members render. With all the negative things we hear, it would be easy to lose hope not only for the future but to become jaded about what we have already done.

I have heard many times and have come to believe that the way we see the world is only a reflection of our own values. If we are constantly plotting on how to get ahead and scheming against others, then we will see the world as an untrustworthy, unhappy place. I asked some of our soldiers how they see the world around them, here, in Iraq. Do we see it through the eyes of those who have called our sacrifice in vain, or do we see it through the eyes of Joseph, a man who despite all the evil that had been done to him, despite the numerous reasons he had to doubt and disbelieve, still saw God’s hand and mercy working in and through the very people who had betrayed him?

Permit me to share with you a true story about another man who had every reason to seek vengeance and to grow weary and cynical about the world around him. As a boy of 7 years, his family was forced out of their home, and he went to work. When he was 9, his mother died. He lost his job as a store clerk when he was 20. He wanted to go to law school, but he didn't have the education. At age 23 he went into debt to be a partner in a small store. Three years later the business partner died, and the resulting debt took years to repay.

When he was 28, after courting a girl for four years, he asked her to marry him, and she turned him down. On his third try he was elected to Congress, at age 37, but then failed to be re-elected. His son died at 4 years of age. When this man was 45, he ran for the Senate and lost. At age 47 he ran for the vice-presidency and lost. But at age 51 he was elected president of the United States.

The man was Abraham Lincoln, a man who learned to face discouragement and move beyond it. Did you know that it was Abraham Lincoln who, in the midst of the Civil War, in 1863, established the annual celebration of Thanksgiving? Lincoln had learned how important it is to stop and thank God in the midst of great difficulties.

What do we have to be thankful for on this day?

I will close with this thought. I asked our soldiers, I ask myself every day, do we look for God in this place? Well, I would like to turn this question around. How does God see us, this world, Ft. Hood, or Iraq?

Perhaps we can find the answer in the first Sunday after Thanksgiving. It begins the Christian season of Advent, meaning arrival. God saw the world and came as a child, a child without power, importance, or wealth. As a child He, too, would flee to Egypt with those in power already beginning to seek His life. God then, and now, did not and has not lost hope for this world, even though we at times might. He still sees those war-torn areas, where there is every reason to despair, and He still comes.

Because of faith, we still have reason to hope. Because of His promises, we do not have to despair. And even in this place, with towns like Balad, Ad Dujayl, Baghdad, and Mosul, we can still see that, while some might have given up hope for the future, He still is coming, working, seeking to sow peace.

Our prayers, thoughts, and dreams are with and go with you.

Gratia et Veritas,
Chaplain Kevin Wainwright

DISPATCH 007--15 NOV 2006

Hello from Iraq,

The missions continue at PB Paliwoda, PB O’Ryan, FOB Brasfield-Mora, and LSA Anaconda. Your soldiers keep performing the everyday, common things that should make you proud of their service. As a certified news junkie, I have been keeping up with the results of last week’s elections and subsequent predictions about what the future military mission will look like in Iraq.

First, I think we should acknowledge something that is all too easy to take for granted: we live in a free country with a free press and a democratic system of government. Our elections, at all levels, with very little or no exceptions, are free of fraud and manipulation. Our political parties may argue, and candidates will oftentimes sling mud at each other, but for the most part our disagreements pale in comparison to how the rest of the world operates. It is not uncommon in other parts of the world, including here in Iraq, for political opponents to physically attack and sometimes kill one another. We are blessed to live in the only country, the only democracy in the entire history of the world, where the military has never staged a coup’d’etat or taken over the government. No matter who is in office, our military and her leaders will adhere to a foundational tenant of our Constitution--the military answers to the civilian leadership and not the other way around. We take these truths for granted because they operate in the background of many people’s lives, like they should. C. S. Lewis stated that the only reason government exists is to ensure that a man can sit beside his fireplace with a good book and not have to fear the lawlessness and chaos that comes with anarchy and war.

The second thing I would like to do is to send a belated Veterans' Day thank you to those family members, loved ones, and friends that give their veterans the support that we need to be able to focus on our mission. We often celebrate the man or woman in uniform, but he or she can only stand tall by resting on the foundation of the sacrifices that you have made for us. Our military families should all feel a sense of pride for the service that they have rendered to our republic. We could not keep ourselves together here without you being there, back there, for us.

Lastly, I want to share some eye-witness observations of what many in the media are labeling an all out civil war in Iraq between the Shia and the Sunni. We have both groups in our area of operations. While the two are both Muslim, the overly-simplified explanation of their differences is that the Shia believe that the true succession of leadership of the Islamic community (or umma) goes through Ali and then Hussein, both direct blood descendents of Muhammad. The Sunni believe that an elected caliph from Damascus was the rightful heir to this leadership position. Over the course of centuries, both factions have developed their own customs and traditions.

I have watched as our commander, LTC Dunlop, discussed some of the tensions with local city council members, and all these leaders emphatically shared how both groups have lived beside one another, have intermarried, and have worked together for centuries. I have spoken with my counterpart, a Shia chaplain in the Iraqi Army, and he has corroborated all that the leaders have said. LTC Dunlop has surmised that the conflict has its roots in outside influences and the struggle for economic and political power. Our challenge is to work with the Iraqi leadership from both communities to ensure that these outside terrorists do not cause feelings of distrust and vengeance. While things might be dire in other parts of the country, our soldiers have done a great job of deescalating the conflict between these groups while taking the battle to the enemy.

Our leadership is asking our soldiers to crush the enemy while constructing a nation. Many have said that this cannot be done or that it is asking too much of our young men and women in uniform. Here, on the ground, our guys and gals have been up to this complicated and demanding task. No matter what you might see or hear, there is still reason for hope and optimism about the future of those communities that we protect. Our soldiers’ actions also give me reason to believe that, by modeling their behavior and professionalism, the Iraqi forces we are training and working alongside of will be able to operate on their own.

We continue to ask you for your prayers, support, love, and loyalty. I would echo what I said in previous letters that I would encourage you to forward any questions about anything to me. I will try to answer them if I can or get you the answer. We miss and love you all very much.

Gratia et Veritas,
Chaplain Kevin Wainwright