Valhalla

What is a friend? Technically the definition is somebody emotionally close. With that in mind, I have a lot of friends. Many I never talk to but there is still an emotional attachment to these people that will never be lost and some of those friends I see every day of my life. There are others still that I consider friends and have never met but through their words via the internet. Surprisingly these friends provide me with a greater emotional attachment than any I have ever met.

These friends are members of a brotherhood I left along time ago, but to which I still feel a pull to belong to. This pull is so strong that recently I’ve even considered re-joining this brotherhood. However, federal law or possibly DoD regulations, I’m not sure which, prevent me from doing so at this time so I continue to train and keep my body ready incase that day comes when I could re-join them.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, these friends are all in the military, and they are all soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some are Special Forces Soldiers and some are simply Infantrymen, but all of them are serving their country. Like those members of the “Greatest Generation” before them they have put aside their daily troubles with work and family and life in general to place themselves in harms way so that we can sleep peaceably at night.

One of my friends in Iraq says that my job here is just as important as their job over there and he sleeps better at night knowing that men like me are here protecting their loved ones; however I can’t help to think that their job is inherently more important than mine. I wait for an emergency to occur and then I rush towards it to mitigate the disaster, whether it is a fire, vehicle accident or even a citizen in need of medical care. But they go out and look for trouble. Placing themselves at risk just to ensure that trouble does not come our way. In my mind, they have the greater and definitely the more dangerous job than I.

“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said “Here am I! Send me.” Isaiah 6:8

My friend has received his wish and will be heading back to a line company. No longer will he spend as much time behind the wire as out of it for he will be out looking for the enemy on a daily basis. He will be beyond the wire, beyond the relative safety of life on an FOB and far beyond the warmth of hearth and home and loved ones by your side. My brother will be out there looking for the enemy so I can sleep safely at night.

Thank you Capt B., thank you for sacrificing all that you have for us. Take care my friend and I shall see you in Valhalla.