Posted by
Tinsldr2 on Tuesday, February 12, 2008 6:33:53 AM
The other day our Division Chaplin gave a very moving benediction at our Sunday Battle Update Briefing. Here is a Copy of it.
Lord you tell us “blessed are the peacemakers”, we have come to Iraq to make peace. We are peacemakers and we must sometimes kill to make peace and to conduct the mission we have been sent to complete. Lord when we have to kill help us never take joy or become callous in the taking of human life. Help us never to kill for revenge, vengeance, or to settle a personal score or vendetta. Our enemy kills and maims innocent men, women and little children indiscriminately, and has no respect whatsoever for human life. As peacemakers help our Task Force Marne Soldiers always respect the sanctity of human life and always adhere as closely as possible to our rules of engagement. When our brave young Soldiers have to take human life we pray that it will never be with a twinkle in their eye but always with a tear in their eye. We pray for our enemies – that you will change their hearts before we as ‘peacemakers’ have to stop their hearts with our weapon systems. Please keep us and our loved ones safe this coming week.
It is often easy to HATE the enemy for the utter evilness of what they do. And while we must never shirk our duty or fail to act decisively it is good to be reminded that we do what we do out of necessity and not to take joy out of the death of others.
On another note I got to watch several Soldiers get Silver Stars and Bronze Stars with V device for valor yesterday. These were all young Americans acting bravely and all the awards were well deserved. After the award ceremony there were about 80 Soldiers (and an airman) that re-enlisted in a combat zone. This is all further examples to the young men and women of the "Strongest Generation".