Tuesday, July 14, 2009

UPDATE: More Details on Karcher's Attack and Rescue - The World Newser

UPDATE: More Details on Karcher's Attack and Rescue - The World Newser

The War in Iraq & Afganistan

My heart is heavy tonight and I can't sleep. I have decided to get up and write. I want to touch upon the war in Iraq and Afganistan. I am not here to debate whether or not we should be there fighting...or whether we went into the war blindly with misinformation....you can save your comments relating to these topics for someone else's blog. I am here to pour out my heart to you about events that I have heard about or spoken to friends about as they relate to the war.

We are a military family stationed in Texas. We live on an army post and are surrounded by everything military. We are an Army family. I am not a propenent for war, I would rather solve disputes through peace, but as a nation WE ARE AT WAR and our military NEEDS our support. Everyday families are sending loved ones off, hoping....praying that they return.

This past week I chatted with a friend of mine. Her husband is a chaplain who is in Iraq. You may or may not know this, but according to the Geneva Convention, chaplains are classified as "noncombatants". This means that they do not and are not allowed to carry a weapon. A chaplain assistant is assigned to a chaplain and it is this assistant who carries a weapon and if need be will defend him/herself and the chaplain should they come under attack.

My friend told me that she was heading to the area hospital where she was going to visit some soldiers. I asked her if they were soldiers from her husband's unit and she proceeded to tell me that yes they were.... but it was a little more than that. You see her husband was in a transport vehicle that was convoying to their location. Another vehicle, not her husbands, in this convey hit an IED (improvised explosive device) and there were those who had become seriously wounded. They had been sent back to the United States and she wanted to go and thank them for their service, especially since they were part of the convey that was tranporting her husband.

You know, we have not been in the military very long, but I have seen this war hit close to home. Last year a neighbor lost her husband to a roadside bomb, he had deployed just 6 weeks prior to the attack.

There are men and women who willingly put themselves in harms way for our safety, security and freedom. Many of them come home safely...some do not come home alive...while others are wounded in this war.

Today it was brought to my attention that a Battalion Commander from Fort Hood, Texas was severely injured due to an IED. LTC Karcher is currently at Walter Reed Medical Center being treated for his wounds from battle. His family and many like them need our prayers and support during this difficult time in their lives. I am asking that you join me in praying for our military..our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers....who are laying their life down for a friend (you and I).

Above this post is a link to a news article on the incident in Iraq and LTC Karcher.
Please take the time to read it and pray for this man and his family.

Whether or not you agree with the war, you probably know someone who is in the miltary and if they are not currently deployed to a combat zone, they have previously been there. These soldiers need our encouragement and prayers. Some of them have seen more in their time in combat than anyone would ever want to see in a lifetime.

I have previously posted 31 Ways to Pray for our Military and Psalm 91 (The Soldiers Psalm). Please share these with your friends, neighbors and church and let's get on our knees for these men and women.