As I watched the news coming over Armed Forces Network (AFN) in the dining hall on April 9, 2003, I saw the old statue of Saddam Hussein being toppled in the city square in Iraq. It was another “routine” day for me in Moron, Spain a convenient stopover for the C-5 Galaxy in Europe. We were carrying materials to support those men who were accomplishing the seemingly clean sweep through Iraq. It was business as usual, a sunny stopover, but this bright day had a little more shine on it with the good news from the front and an opportunity to write my wife:
“Looks like some good news from the front with Baghdad falling and statues toppling… I am proud that I got to contribute to the effort and even more grateful to my lovely, wonderful wife who supports me so much—you really do make my job easier knowing that you have a great attitude and want to support me however you can… I thank God for you and hope to be back home soon…”
Only eighteen days before, the victory was no sure bet. Our mission that night had us bound for Kuwait to drop off some support equipment for the 101st Airborne. From our vantage point above the Red Sea, we could see Naval vessels kicking off the “Shock & Awe” campaign by launching Cruise Missiles into Iraq. Once we arrived in Kuwait, we made several rushes to the bunkers, donning chemical defense gear, and anxiously awaiting the sirens to silence. As the threat dropped, we quickly prepared the aircraft for a return flight to Spain and left the theater uneventfully, wondering if more uncertain nights were on the horizon.
As it turned out, that is as perilous as my encounters with the enemy were. The long hours flying across the oceans and continents, constant uncertainty of alert schedules, and many days apart from family posed the more challenging threat. My exposure to the thorny battlefields in Iraq was brief and distant, mostly from miles above the action. But my satisfaction in playing a role in our nation’s war was no less sure than the soldier who patrolled the streets of Fallujah.
Lord, be sovereign over the nations; may your will be done in the governments of the earth.
“Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance.” (Psalm 82:8)