My List

There’s a quote that I’ve always found unfortunately humorous – and accurate: “War is God's way of teaching Americans geography.” Besides geography, there’s another association I make with war – music. 
 
I will always associate Garth Brooks’ “I’ve Got Friends in Low Places” with Desert Storm. It seemed like the Armed Forces Network (AFN) played it continuously. Then, there was a song from Phase Two of the Afghanistan Campaign. I enjoyed it so much that I intended to have it played at my retirement ceremony. It was just one of the many moving songs by Toby Keith -- a great American patriot. 

Toby’s song is titled “My List” and is in the genre of Harry Chapin’s “Cat’s in the Cradle.” There’s something about being away from your wife and kids for a year at a time (except for a two-week R&R) that accentuates all the milestones you’re missing. A partial excerpt of the lyrics from “My List” follows:

Under an old brass paperweight is my list of things to do today,
Go to the bank and the hardware store, put a new lock on the cellar door.
I cross 'em off as I get 'em done but when the sun is set,
There's still more than a few things left I haven't got to yet…

Go for a walk, say a little prayer, take a deep breath of mountain air,
Put on my glove, play some catch, it's time that I make time for that.
Wade the shore, cast a line, look up a long lost friend of mine,
Sit on the porch and give my girl a kiss.
Start livin' that's the next thing on my list.

When talking with Soldiers concerned about their kids back home, I’d tell them two things. First, that I believed God would honor their sacrifice, and secondly, there is no better way to teach your children the importance of duty, honor and loyalty than living it. After all, I’d remind them, it wasn’t like we were on a protracted fishing expedition or out playing golf. Nonetheless, it was obvious to all of us that we were missing a great deal. 

Since I was medically retired (after 35 years of service), I never did get to play that song at a ceremony. So what brought that song back to my mind now? It was an appointment with the VA last week. The doctor was asking me about my mental health and TBI. I told her that the toll multiple deployments exacts is bad, but what’s even worse is the insult of watching those hard fought for cities and provinces falling back into the hands of the enemy.

During the Cold War, I was in West Germany where we faced-off with the Soviet Union-led Warsaw Pact. We were trained to know that Russia could not be trusted. To watch them now walk into Ukraine virtually unopposed is exasperating. To watch them align themselves with Iran, Iraq and Syria, move their forces into the Middle East, and then bomb our allies is sickening. 

Driving home from the VA hospital that day, my blood was beginning to boil. Not like the pressure cooker used by the Boston bombers, but more like a cauldron – boiling because of a belief that our government is making it mighty comfortable for our enemies and not adequately aiding our allies. And that’s when the idea of a “list” came clearly to mind. Only this list is not of things I want to do – this list is for our current Commander-in-Chief to check-off.

Mr. Obama – please put this under a paperweight:

-- You owe Mitt Romney an apology. When he told you in the debate about Russia, “This is without question our No. 1 geopolitical foe. They fight for every cause for the world’s worst actors.” You arrogantly mocked him, “The 1980s are now calling to ask for their foreign policy back because the Cold War’s been over for 20 years.” Sadly, Romney was past right.

-- You owe the 4,491 US Gold Star families and the 32,226 American wounded from Iraq an apology. Not because you started the war, but because you lost the war. You failed to heed the advice of your military commanders and leave a residual force.

-- You owe the families of the Benghazi four and the video maker you blamed it on (and later arrested) an apology.

-- You owe our children an apology for the Trillions in debt you’ve amassed.

I could go on, but I’ve got to go play catch.

This column appears in The Upson Beacon, 14 OCT 2015 published in Upson County, GA.

The Pulley

The other day I was stopped at a “T” intersection waiting on an approaching car to pass by before I could proceed. There was also a gray squirrel crouching in the middle of the road. The squirrel suddenly realized that the car I was waiting on was bearing down on him. He ran left, then right, then left, and then right – and to my utter amazement, the car passed right over him --allowing him to escape unscathed. It‘s worth noting that the car never deviated. Whether the driver was oblivious to the squirrel or just staying true to his course, I don’t know. 

The US Army has a course that’s specifically designed to facilitate the type of deliberate decision making that the squirrel so successfully employed. This course doesn’t consist of classes and lectures. It’s known as the Leader’s Reaction Course (LRC). In many ways, it resembles the typical Army obstacle course but serves a different purpose.

The Army has two types of obstacle courses: The Conditioning Obstacle Course “develops physical capacities, fundamental skills, and abilities that are important to Soldiers in combat operations. It has low obstacles that must be negotiated quickly.” The Confidence Obstacle Course “has higher and more difficult obstacles than the conditioning course. It gives Soldiers confidence in their mental and physical abilities and cultivates their spirit and daring. Confidence obstacle courses incorporate complex obstacles that involve height and are not run for time.”

Although the LRC may physically resemble the two aforementioned, it is designed to more fully exercise the analytical and leadership faculties. The concept for the Leader’s Reaction Course reportedly began with German psychologists during the late 1920s. They were interested in the selection process of prospective officers. Their selection process included, “tests for imagination and rapid learning ability; capacity for swift adjustment; emotional stability and security of conduct. They found that a series of leader situations provided an opportunity to observe the presence of the desirable leader skills.”
 
After WWII, the British adapted the German leader evaluation concept including the LRC. An LRC was eventually established by the US Air Force at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. “It was used there as one of the four means to evaluate students of the Squadron Officers Course.” In September 1953, the Infantry School at Fort Benning built an LRC for West Point cadets who were coming to attend a summer training program in 1954.
 
The Army’s intent behind the LRC is to improve the student’s leadership ability; assess the student’s leadership traits and behaviors; provide the student with a means of making a self-evaluation of his leadership abilities; and provide students the opportunity to observe the strengths and weaknesses of others during a team operation.

Many years ago, while at Fort Bragg, NC, I was in a position to watch numerous teams negotiate a particular LRC obstacle. That obstacle had some walls and poles that had to be climbed as well as some ditches that had to be forded. The equipment provided at that obstacle included some boards, some fuel drums, about 75 feet of large diameter rope and a very large pulley with a hook on the top.

Obviously, the leadership dynamics of each team were different. In some instances, one guy took charge and was very directive in nature, obviously efficient, but the pitfalls to that approach are also numerous. In some cases, there was a more deliberative, democratic, committee like methodology. Others broke down into teams and tried to gain efficiencies in their simultaneity. While that was all very interesting, that is not what amazed me about that particular obstacle.
 
What fascinated me the most that day was not the various leadership approaches or divisions of labor. What captivated me was how each and every team earnestly tried to figure out how to employ the rope and pulley. Without fail, for at least fifteen minutes, they all struggled with that pulley. They tried to hook it to things, tried routing the rope through the sheave, etc., etc. -- all to no avail. In fact, the pulley served no useful purpose whatsoever – it was in actuality, a hindrance.

How many times have I, like the squirrel, dashed about going nowhere or vainly tried to figure out how to employ the “pulley”? Perhaps the better reaction -- as prescribed by the greatest Leader:  “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Lord, help us to lead by following You.

This column appears in The Upson Beacon, 7 OCT 2015 published in Upson County, GA.

The Pope’s Persian Conversion

Popemania – the new Beetlemania.  The new cable news network mantra, “All Pope, all the time.”  Why the mainstream media’s interest in this Pope?  My hunch, they think he can be turned -- they think deep-down he’s a leftist too.

I was raised a Roman Catholic, but after reading the Bible in 1993 became a non-denominational, Bible-believing, born-again, washed in the blood, follower of Jesus Christ.  Louie Giglio, an Atlanta pastor and founder of the Passion movement, made the point one Sunday that “non-denominational” is not the best term since one would not want to be defined by what they don’t believe in.  I get that.  Consider the saying, “American by birth, Texan by the grace of God.”  In the spiritual realm, my case would be, “Roman Catholic by birth, Christ follower by the grace of God.”  

In the military, the two main services were either Catholic or General Protestant.  Although I would identify as “protestant” (after 1993) in keeping with Louie’s logic, I was not protesting anything.  My allegiance is not to a particular church or denomination – it is to the God of the Bible.

So, is the Pope Catholic?  Do bears defecate in the woods?  The answer used to be obvious.  In a FoxNews.com opinion piece published December 04, 2013, editor Adam Shaw (a Catholic) said, “Pope Francis is undergoing a popularity surge comparable to the way Barack Obama was greeted by the world in 2008. And just as President Obama has been a disappointment for America, Pope Francis will prove a disaster for the Catholic Church.”  He’s obviously right about the former but what about the latter?

Shaw continued, “Just like President Obama loved apologizing for America, Pope Francis likes to apologize for the Catholic Church, thinking that the Church is at its best when it is passive and not offending anyone’s sensibilities.”  How’s that “apology approach” to foreign policy working out for America and the world?  Shaw then describes the results for the Catholic Church: 
 

  ”For all we’re being told about how ‘disenfranchised’ Catholics are being brought back by Francis ‘reaching out,’ a recent Pew Research study showed that in America, the number of people who identify as Catholic has actually decreased.  Lesson: rubbing the egos of Church-hating left-wingers doesn’t make more Catholics; it just makes the Church less respected.”  

Take a lesson America.  Jesus knew the world would hate Him and made no bones about it, explaining, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.   If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”   So how is it that this Pope trumps this teaching of Jesus? 

 

Another indicator beyond the press drooling over the Pope that should alert one’s spidey-senses – nary a peep out of the “freedom from religion crowd.”   There’s the Pope flying around in Marine One, the President’s personal helicopter, again, silence.  It is common knowledge that that aircraft is supposed to be reserved for flying the Obama’s on vacations – not a supposedly anti-gay marriage, pro-life, male-only priesthood promoting pontiff.   The leftists’ lack of outrage at this cooperation between Church and state is deafening, and a sure sign that they aren’t scared of the guy.

As a wacko Bible believer (i.e. orthodox Christian) I’m anticipating the prophesied marriage of the apostate church and the government.  Seeing Obama and this Pope side-by-side at the White House the other day was almost enough to believe the archangel’s lips were on the trump of God.  Perhaps this Pope is just Obama’s new Jeremiah Wright – to be thrown under the bus at some future date.  Maybe it’s a marriage of convenience – each hoping to advance their respective agendas by appearing together in unity.   

Although Obama and the left-wing American media may have rolled out the red carpet for Francis, I’m pretty sure Jesus would not enjoy a similar welcome.   If the Jewish Messiah were to show up tomorrow (and scripture says it’s very, very possible), it’s my bet Obama and the press would treat Jesus a lot more like the last Jewish guy to address a joint session of Congress – Benjamin Netanyahu.  

Another way Obama, the Pope and the press are alike (besides believing in climate-change) – they all support the Iran deal.  Said the Pope, "it is proof of the potential of political goodwill, exercised with sincerity, patience and constancy,"

Now that’s faith.

This column appears in The Upson Beacon, 30 SEP 2015 published in Upson County, GA.

Peacemakers and Peace Prizes

Let me start by confessing President Obama’s leadership approach makes me ill.  It’s my judgment that his “leadership” has made our nation and the entire world a more dangerous and unstable place.  His racism, partisanship and class-envy agenda has stoked the fires of dissension, rebellion and anarchy.  These wild fires are now out-of-control and might well be beyond the ability of man or government to contain. 

Doing a little introspection (like checking for lumps), I realized my mindset has gone well beyond the mere fact that I believe Obama and his cronies are destroying our country and destabilizing the world-order for future generations – it has become a medical disorder.  Recalling the syndrome that plagued so many liberals when Bush and Cheney were in office, I began a little internet medical research to see if I was suffering from something comparable. 

Using the search term “Bush Derangement Syndrome”, I quickly learned that BDS was discovered by my second favorite Jew, Dr. Charles Krauthammer (Jesus of Nazareth being my favorite).  The definition of BDS according to the good doctor:  “the acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal people in reaction to the policies, the presidency -- nay -- the very existence of George W. Bush.”  Those most at risk for the dreaded BDS -- Doctor Krauthammer said that it, “generally struck people with previously compromised intellectual immune systems.”

   

Through the power of the internet (and Al Gore’s ingenuity), I was able to uncover my malady – Obama Derangement Syndrome ODS.  There is great comfort in knowing one’s disability has a name.  In a clear-cut case of copy-cat medicine, Dr. Christopher Zimmermann has gone so far as to develop six-stages for the disease. (I’m a four on my good days.)  Here’s an abbreviated list of symptoms:  

Stage One.  Subtle, low level criticisms of Obama's "leadership" abilities.  

Stage Two.  Attacks on the President begin to take on a nonsensical element such as criticism of Obama playing golf, taking a vacation with his family, or eating mustard on his hamburger.  (Zimmerman makes no allowance for golf outings immediately after announcing American beheadings.)

Stage Three.  Unable to call the President by his name, using incendiary monikers such as Barry, Obummer, Zero, etc.

Stage Four.  Use of phrases like, "Anyone but Obama."  The diseased begin to take any position, so long as it is not Obama's position.  Mocking ideas like "hope" and "change" as naive, simply because Obama embodies them.

Stage Five.   Assaults on the President's character begin to imply he is evil at his core. The development of conspiracies that suggest Obama is knowingly executing an agenda that will harm America are commonplace. Questions like, "Is Obama A Bigger Threat Than Al Qaeda?" and "Obama: A Radical Leftist Who Seeks To Dismantle Capitalism?" are common place.

Stage Six.  People who are offended by Barack Obama's very existence.  

Now where were we?  Oh yea, discussing leadership. 

Like it or not, a superpower cannot abdicate its responsibility to lead, anymore than the father of a family can without bad things happening.  The mantle of global leadership, like paternal leadership, is incumbent with the position.  The oxymoronic (maybe just moronic) “leading from behind” is not leadership – it is dereliction of duty.   One only need look to our inner cities to see the consequences of absentee fathers.   Observe the Middle East to see what dereliction and our “Peace through withdrawal” strategy has wrought.  President Obama’s Nobel Peace prize, awarded in anticipation of the peace to come, may well have to be revoked for the mayhem ultimately delivered.

 

Paradoxically, there is another man, a man considered by many to be a man of war, who is credited with bringing about peace.  For the last couple of weeks I’ve been reading a biography about said peacemaker, General David Petraeus.  I was extremely impressed by his thoughts on strategic leadership.

Petraeus said there are four tasks he thinks strategic leaders have to perform:

- First, “Get the ‘Big Ideas’ right.”

- Second, “Effectively communicate the Big Ideas.”

- Third, “Oversee the implementation of the Big Ideas.”

- Fourth, “Capture best practices and lessons…to help refine the Big Ideas.”

After reading that I earnestly, honestly, and objectively tried to identify what Obama’s “Big Ideas” are – what is it he believes in?  Closing GTMO, the Iran deal, climate change, sexual rights (a new government term), Making America Great Again (just kidding).   It would be funny if it wasn’t so serious.

What is the “big idea” of the Obama administration – honestly, I have no idea.  

This column appears in The Upson Beacon, 23 SEP 2015 published in Upson County, GA.

At This Point...

Thanks for reading this.  Whether on-line or in print, I sincerely appreciate it.  There’s an old supposedly Chinese saying, “May you live in interesting times.”  One problem though – there’s no known Chinese saying like that.  The closest one is actually from a 17^th Century Chinese short story -- “Better to be a dog in a peaceful time, than to be a man in a chaotic period."    The way things are nowadays, even a dog’s outta luck.

Last week, I was watching the Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, when he described the current Middle Eastern refugee crisis as a “disaster of Biblical proportions." Clapper went on to say that he worries about the background of some of those fleeing Iraq and Syria.  I’ll take, “What Can Go Wrong With That?” for 10,000 Alex. These times are not just interesting, they’re downright chaotic.   Sadly though, most Americans are simply not interested.

One of the reasons I‘m thankful you’re reading this – it shows you’re concerned.  So many of our fellow countrymen (and millions of the illegals living here), just don’t care enough about America to stay informed.  I offer Obama’s reelection and Hillary’s candidacy as sad proof of our uninformed masses. 

This brings me to a recent exchange between Dr. Ben Carson and Donald Trump.  Last week, Carson was asked by a reporter how he was different from Trump.  "Probably the biggest thing -- I've realized where my success has come from and I don't in anyway deny my faith in God."  Carson continued to cite what he said was one of his favorite Bible verses, "By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life and that's a very big part of who I am. I don't get that impression with [Trump] him -- Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't get that."

Aside from the fact that Dr. Carson demonstrated it’s hard to humbly discuss one’s own humility, it’s not clear to me that anyone who believes they’re the one most qualified to assume the highest office in the most powerful nation in the world could list humility as one of their foremost attributes.  Granted, he was just answering their question.   I must agree with Dr. Carson – I don’t get that impression of Trump either.  Maybe that’s why Trump is so refreshing.

Carson is obviously a pious man, but he certainly violated the Eleventh Commandment as proclaimed by Ronald Reagan -- our savior from the Carter years.  As “Saint Reagan” declared, “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.”  Perhaps especially when talking about your own humility.  The guiding principle for these interesting and difficult times needs to be that espoused by the late William F. Buckley, Jr.  Buckley said we should nominate, "the rightward-most viable candidate."

 Consider now the last seven years under the self-professed Christian and Constitution scholar Barrack Obama.  Christians are being attacked all over the world – physically in the Middle East, North Africa and elsewhere, politically in the US and Europe.  Islamic countries are so bad now that Muslims don’t even want to live in them.  The Constitution has been trashed to the point that it’s not even worth the parchment it was written on.  And what is our current National Security Strategy – the Obama Doctrine?  Senator Ron Johnson called it, “Peace through withdrawal.”  I’d call it, “Losing from behind.”

Dr. Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, said it this way, “There is a palpable feeling among many Christians (as well as non-Christians) that our nation has been in a downward death spiral during the last seven years of President Obama’s administration.  Some feel that the 2016 election may be the last opportunity to reverse that trend...Trump, they believe, is the only candidate with the leadership skills necessary to lead us out of that mess.”

So why Trump? Consider this humble proclamation by The Donald, “We’ll win so much if I’m elected you’ll get bored with winning!”  That’s my kind of boredom.  Trump also said people are shocked when they found out he’s protestant. "I am Presbyterian. And I go to church and I love God and I love my church."  Maybe he does, maybe he doesn’t.  If I may quote Hillary for a moment, “At this point, what difference does it make?”

Truthfully, any of the Republicans would be great, Christian or not.  As Pastor Jeffress also said, “Evangelicals no longer require their president to be one of them; they just want a president who doesn't hate them.”

This column appears in The Upson Beacon, 16 SEP 2015 published in Upson County, GA.