thanksgiving

Friends;

It is Thanksgiving Day in Iraq. It is a bittersweet day for those of us deployed with the 557 Expeditionary Red Horse Squadron. Yesterday we learned of our date for departure home. (a little under two weeks from now) It is also a significant family day. One of our deployed members was in line behind me for our Thanksgiving Luncheon (which was outstanding!). She had a Styrofoam box for her food which folk use to grab a quick bite. I asked her if she wasn't going to stay and eat. She said thanksgiving is for family and since she wasn't with family she was going to eat alone. This is something of the heartbreak that many of our deployed members feel.

My heart especially aches for those who have young children or young marriages that will be much stressed when they arrive home. And so I am thankful this day for family. For my immediate family and my extended family. How wonderful they have been these past 7 months. I am also thankful for my family of faith, brothers and sisters who have supported me and those with whom I serve in prayer. I could actually feel the spirit wind in my sails as I served here. A wind born of prayer. I thank all who have followed this blog over the months; your interest and engagement in this journey are something I deeply appreciate. I am also thankful for Janet's friendship and support during this deployment. We managed to accomplish a significant ministry on this deployment.

I am attaching a picture that I took at sunset at Al Asad. It captures much of the depth I feel about this land as I prepare to depart. Iraq has a mystic beauty, the beauty of the desert. It is a beauty that is cherished in the American Southwest. The beauty is underscored however by an abiding anguish. The anguish expressed by the little girl I met in Mosul who said all she wanted was to be able to go to the playground without fear of a bomb going off or of getting shot. It is the anguish of American military members weeping at the memorial service of a young lieutenant killed in Mosul.

It seems that American policy makers are taking a hard look at our involvement here. This is a good thing. I hope the discussion will include the heroic progress that has taken place here. People, there is much, much more to Iraq and Afghanistan than you read in the paper or view on the news. The breathtaking accomplishments of the American military in this Area of Operations are making history. To ignore these contributions is to ignore the best America is accomplishing in this place. My hope is to tell this story with passion and precision when I return. And yes, I am thankful for this experience. It has been difficult at times. Frustrating at times. Risky at times. And glorious at times.Overall, it has been an enriching journey, both here in the AOR and in discussion with those back home. GOD bless you and keep you grace and peace.

From Iraq

DAVE

Bahgdad

Friends;

I greet you this day from Baghdad International Airport (BIAP). BIAP is home to over 70,000 American military members who are deployed to bring Baghdad under control. BIAP is huge. I estimate that it is 60 or 70 miles around. Lt. Gomes, the commander of the Red Horse Detachment here took us on a tour yesterday of BIAP. It was a memorable event. We toured Saddam Hussein's palace which is huge. The picture of Janet and I is taken on the "throne" that is a classic picture for deployed military members here. The palace is set in a series of lakes and canals that is incredible to behold. I am also posting a picture of this sight. The arrogance of power that is evident in this place is staggering. Apparently Saddam and his friends could hunt, fish and carouse in this paradise which the vast majority of Iraqi's live in grinding poverty. It certainly rubs the democratic soul the wrong way.

Most deployed members here had a bemused attitude about the recent elections. The so called "war" in Iraq really isn't a war, it is what is referred to in military thinking a "Military Operation Other than War", MOOTW. The political debate is really about whether we want to continue peace making operations in this part of the world. The vast majority of deployed Americans believe we are doing some good over here and departing too soon would be a disaster. To say that our operations over here are a disaster is to attend only to the heart break of our sojourn in this place. The massive amount of good we are doing is ignored to support a particular political perception. Whether or not we should have come over here is a pointless discussion, its like discussing whether or not you should jump off a cliff after you have jumped. The idea is to find a safe landing spot.

It is tempting to think that Iraq is where all the terrorists are located. Terrorists use technology to instill fear. There is a terrorist in Topeka, Kansas who torched St. David's Episcopal Church. The community is heart broken. I am convinced there is a power stronger than terror. It is the power of the gospel. The good news of GOD's love for the world erupting through Jesus Christ. The power of the gospel enables us to see the possibility for doing justice in Iraq. It is also the power that will sustain St. David's as they rebuild their house of worship. GOD bless us and keep us steady in the gospel, alive to the power of the SPIRIT and joyous in our service to our LORD. GOD BLESS YOU!

DAVE