A New Year's Message - Courage
War is deep amongst us and guess what commando: It's chances of ending tonight are slim. I'm reminded of a poem about a few great men; about their combined testament to that essential commodity for a soldier to win and to be an effective warrior ... they call it Courage.
Aggressive and raw forms of Courage show our enemies that strength and guile do matter in a fire fight.
A kind of unique American courage, founded in our ancestor's heritage, or the sinew of a civilian master adventurer like the ones you'll find in the pages of the "Great African Hunter" like Robert Rouark, or big wave surfing pioneers like Buzzy Trent or Laird Hamilton.
Courage, is that something that all great warriors have whether they battle nature or motor through a gauntlet of IEDs while driving down Baghdad's Haifa Street and come out alive... Or of which the four passages of Kipling's "IF," speak volumes of ...
Like the hunter facing the charge of the lion... or the adrenaline rush of paddling down the face of a twenty foot wave - every warrior has that nerve. It's just applying it, that's what separates the warrior from the observer.
Courage is similar. It is the ability to think and act when one is afraid.
Cowardice is when you let fear take over. The secret to handling fear; is to suppress it by focusing on a solution, not the problem.
Fear can turn thoughts inward causing an extrovert to become self-reflective in a ‘nano-flash' at just the precise time he should be pouring on action. Fear creates panic or absence of thought... if YOU let it!
The ability to think under fire (or pressure, or fear of any kind) is courage. Fear is that state of mind when lack of thinking is overridden by emotion.
But we always want to keep our edge... Military personnel train by repetition to inculcate: To teach each other to be reflexive and flexible in motion and thought via immediate action drills; in the course of action and in the absence of thought during extreme situations (An ambush, IED's... etc) while under fire in combat. Before we go into combat or on patrol we always rehearse: to be inculcated. Part of that rehearsal always includes immediate action drills.
When a soldier matures, he develops the ability to think under pressure and become more dangerous to the enemy and a better leader. One thing important to remember is how courage also helps you handle mistakes and forge on. We have all played a sport where we made a big mistake and blew a play. If we dwell on our failure we loose the game. But if we keep our focus, or as they say our "head in the game," we can still win.
During acts of Courage sometimes mistakes are made. I think it's important to mention how to overcome a mistake by keeping focused on the solution as not to loose your Courage.
A couple men who exemplify courage: SFC Robert L. Howard and Petty Officer "Mike" Thornton.
During the Vietnam War, First Lt., Robert L. Howard (then SFC.), U.S. Army, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces on 30 December 1968 distinguished himself with a centering toward his situation that was quite remarkable...
While serving as platoon sergeant of an American-Vietnamese platoon which was on a mission to rescue a missing American soldier in enemy controlled territory in the Republic of Vietnam, the platoon First Lt. Howard was with, had left its helicopter landing zone and was moving out on its mission when it was attacked by an estimated 2-company force. During the initial engagement, 1st Lt. Howard was wounded and his weapon destroyed by a grenade explosion. 1st Lt. Howard saw his platoon leader had been wounded seriously and was exposed to fire. Although unable to walk, and weaponless, 1st Lt. Howard unhesitatingly crawled through a hail of fire to retrieve his wounded leader. As 1st Lt. Howard was administering first aid and removing the officer's equipment, an enemy bullet struck one of the ammunition pouches on the lieutenant's belt, detonating several magazines of ammunition. 1st Lt. Howard momentarily sought cover and then realizing that he must rejoin the platoon, which had been disorganized by the enemy attack, he again began dragging the seriously wounded officer toward the platoon area. Through his outstanding example of indomitable courage and bravery, 1st Lt. Howard was able to rally the platoon into an organized defense force. With complete disregard for his safety, 1st Lt. Howard crawled from position to position, administering first aid to the wounded, giving encouragement to the defenders and directing their fire on the encircling enemy. For 3 1/2 hours 1st Lt. Howard's small force and supporting aircraft successfully repulsed enemy attacks and finally were in sufficient control to permit the landing of rescue helicopters. 1st Lt. Howard personally supervised the loading of his men and did not leave the bullet-swept landing zone until all were aboard safely. 1st Lt. Howard's gallantry in action, his complete devotion to the welfare of his men at the risk of his life were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
Petty Officer "Mike" Thornton , U.S. Navy (SEAL), Navy Advisory Group in the Republic of Vietnam, on 31 October 1972. PO Thornton, as Assistant U.S. Navy Advisor, along with U.S. Navy Lieutenant Tommy Norris(SEAL) serving as Senior Advisor, accompanied a 3-man Vietnamese Navy SEAL patrol on an intelligence gathering and prisoner capture operation against an enemy-occupied naval river base. Launched from a Vietnamese Navy junk in a rubber boat, the patrol reached land and was continuing on foot toward its objective when it suddenly came under heavy fire from a numerically superior force. The patrol called in naval gunfire support and then engaged the enemy in a fierce firefight, accounting for many enemy casualties before moving back to the waterline to prevent encirclement. Upon learning that the Senior Advisor had been hit by enemy fire and was believed to be dead, PO Thornton returned through a hail of fire to the lieutenant's last position; quickly disposed of 2 enemy soldiers about to overrun the position, and succeeded in removing the seriously wounded and unconscious Senior Naval Advisor to the water's edge. He then inflated the lieutenant's lifejacket and towed him seaward for approximately 2 hours until picked up by support craft. By his extraordinary courage and perseverance, PO Thornton was directly responsible for saving the life of his superior officer Norris and enabling the safe extraction of all patrol members, showing conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while participating in a daring operation against enemy forces and thereby upholding the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
Howard and Thornton - momentarily fell off the horse but quickly got back in the saddle before any emotion or fear set in finishing the action and thus: ‘...so [held] on when there is nothing in [them] Except the Will which [said] to them: "Hold on!"' -Inoculation
Howard and Thornton in Vietnam, are examples of why a soldiers and sailors trains to fight the way they do. They Drill their specific duties to replicate a state of fear so that during a action any state of fear never becomes a panic and thus, their response is a focus, motivation and intense course of effective action that is reflexive.
I want to drive their actions (and other actions like theirs) home to you! Courage is all about thinking - Panic is all about NOT THINKING!
And that Poem?
Its called "If". It's by the late great Rudyard Kipling. Whenever you get a moment, take a look at "If", those medal of honor citations and then yourself in a tall mirror and know without a doubt you do have the same courage which those verses or men before you have had. You need just to apply the Courage wisely and remember:
Hoo-ah!
-Dave
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Aggressive and raw forms of Courage show our enemies that strength and guile do matter in a fire fight.
A kind of unique American courage, founded in our ancestor's heritage, or the sinew of a civilian master adventurer like the ones you'll find in the pages of the "Great African Hunter" like Robert Rouark, or big wave surfing pioneers like Buzzy Trent or Laird Hamilton.
Courage, is that something that all great warriors have whether they battle nature or motor through a gauntlet of IEDs while driving down Baghdad's Haifa Street and come out alive... Or of which the four passages of Kipling's "IF," speak volumes of ...
"If ..." (so says Kipling...)
"...you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!'"
Like the hunter facing the charge of the lion... or the adrenaline rush of paddling down the face of a twenty foot wave - every warrior has that nerve. It's just applying it, that's what separates the warrior from the observer.
Courage is similar. It is the ability to think and act when one is afraid.
Cowardice is when you let fear take over. The secret to handling fear; is to suppress it by focusing on a solution, not the problem.
Fear can turn thoughts inward causing an extrovert to become self-reflective in a ‘nano-flash' at just the precise time he should be pouring on action. Fear creates panic or absence of thought... if YOU let it!
The ability to think under fire (or pressure, or fear of any kind) is courage. Fear is that state of mind when lack of thinking is overridden by emotion.
But we always want to keep our edge... Military personnel train by repetition to inculcate: To teach each other to be reflexive and flexible in motion and thought via immediate action drills; in the course of action and in the absence of thought during extreme situations (An ambush, IED's... etc) while under fire in combat. Before we go into combat or on patrol we always rehearse: to be inculcated. Part of that rehearsal always includes immediate action drills.
‘...If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools...'
When a soldier matures, he develops the ability to think under pressure and become more dangerous to the enemy and a better leader. One thing important to remember is how courage also helps you handle mistakes and forge on. We have all played a sport where we made a big mistake and blew a play. If we dwell on our failure we loose the game. But if we keep our focus, or as they say our "head in the game," we can still win.
During acts of Courage sometimes mistakes are made. I think it's important to mention how to overcome a mistake by keeping focused on the solution as not to loose your Courage.
A couple men who exemplify courage: SFC Robert L. Howard and Petty Officer "Mike" Thornton.
During the Vietnam War, First Lt., Robert L. Howard (then SFC.), U.S. Army, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces on 30 December 1968 distinguished himself with a centering toward his situation that was quite remarkable...
While serving as platoon sergeant of an American-Vietnamese platoon which was on a mission to rescue a missing American soldier in enemy controlled territory in the Republic of Vietnam, the platoon First Lt. Howard was with, had left its helicopter landing zone and was moving out on its mission when it was attacked by an estimated 2-company force. During the initial engagement, 1st Lt. Howard was wounded and his weapon destroyed by a grenade explosion. 1st Lt. Howard saw his platoon leader had been wounded seriously and was exposed to fire. Although unable to walk, and weaponless, 1st Lt. Howard unhesitatingly crawled through a hail of fire to retrieve his wounded leader. As 1st Lt. Howard was administering first aid and removing the officer's equipment, an enemy bullet struck one of the ammunition pouches on the lieutenant's belt, detonating several magazines of ammunition. 1st Lt. Howard momentarily sought cover and then realizing that he must rejoin the platoon, which had been disorganized by the enemy attack, he again began dragging the seriously wounded officer toward the platoon area. Through his outstanding example of indomitable courage and bravery, 1st Lt. Howard was able to rally the platoon into an organized defense force. With complete disregard for his safety, 1st Lt. Howard crawled from position to position, administering first aid to the wounded, giving encouragement to the defenders and directing their fire on the encircling enemy. For 3 1/2 hours 1st Lt. Howard's small force and supporting aircraft successfully repulsed enemy attacks and finally were in sufficient control to permit the landing of rescue helicopters. 1st Lt. Howard personally supervised the loading of his men and did not leave the bullet-swept landing zone until all were aboard safely. 1st Lt. Howard's gallantry in action, his complete devotion to the welfare of his men at the risk of his life were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
Petty Officer "Mike" Thornton , U.S. Navy (SEAL), Navy Advisory Group in the Republic of Vietnam, on 31 October 1972. PO Thornton, as Assistant U.S. Navy Advisor, along with U.S. Navy Lieutenant Tommy Norris(SEAL) serving as Senior Advisor, accompanied a 3-man Vietnamese Navy SEAL patrol on an intelligence gathering and prisoner capture operation against an enemy-occupied naval river base. Launched from a Vietnamese Navy junk in a rubber boat, the patrol reached land and was continuing on foot toward its objective when it suddenly came under heavy fire from a numerically superior force. The patrol called in naval gunfire support and then engaged the enemy in a fierce firefight, accounting for many enemy casualties before moving back to the waterline to prevent encirclement. Upon learning that the Senior Advisor had been hit by enemy fire and was believed to be dead, PO Thornton returned through a hail of fire to the lieutenant's last position; quickly disposed of 2 enemy soldiers about to overrun the position, and succeeded in removing the seriously wounded and unconscious Senior Naval Advisor to the water's edge. He then inflated the lieutenant's lifejacket and towed him seaward for approximately 2 hours until picked up by support craft. By his extraordinary courage and perseverance, PO Thornton was directly responsible for saving the life of his superior officer Norris and enabling the safe extraction of all patrol members, showing conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while participating in a daring operation against enemy forces and thereby upholding the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
Howard and Thornton - momentarily fell off the horse but quickly got back in the saddle before any emotion or fear set in finishing the action and thus: ‘...so [held] on when there is nothing in [them] Except the Will which [said] to them: "Hold on!"' -Inoculation
Howard and Thornton in Vietnam, are examples of why a soldiers and sailors trains to fight the way they do. They Drill their specific duties to replicate a state of fear so that during a action any state of fear never becomes a panic and thus, their response is a focus, motivation and intense course of effective action that is reflexive.
I want to drive their actions (and other actions like theirs) home to you! Courage is all about thinking - Panic is all about NOT THINKING!
And that Poem?
Its called "If". It's by the late great Rudyard Kipling. Whenever you get a moment, take a look at "If", those medal of honor citations and then yourself in a tall mirror and know without a doubt you do have the same courage which those verses or men before you have had. You need just to apply the Courage wisely and remember:
‘...If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings-nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And-which is more-you'll be a Man, my son!'
Hoo-ah!
-Dave
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World News - Knowing is Half the Battle!
 | Airmen 'drop the ball' on New Year's Eve by Capt. Eric Badger, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs 1/3/2006 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) -- With inspiration from New York -- the city that never sleeps -- Airmen at this desert base that never sleeps got to drop the ball this New Year’s Eve. In less than 72 hours, some 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron members constructed a New Year’s Eve Ball like the one dropped at New York’s Times Square every year. Read More >> |
 | Army biathlete makes Olympics team ARLINGTON, Va. (Army News Service, Jan. 5, 2006) - The U.S. Biathlon Association nominated a Soldier this week to compete in the 2006 Winter Olympics Feb. 10 through 26 in Torino, Italy. Spc. Jeremy Teela, a member of the Army’s World Class Athlete Program, was nominated to represent the United States in the Olympics as a biathlete following his performance in the TD Banknorth Festival at Fort Kent, Maine, Dec. 28 to Jan 3. Read More >> |
 | Scout Swimmers of 31st MEU boat Company Takes the Beach KIN BLUE BEACH, OKINAWA, Japan (Dec. 29, 2005) -- Marines of F Company, Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, conducted Combat Rubber Reconnaissance Craft training Dec. 28 and 29 as part of their preparation for an upcoming special operations capability test. Read More >> |
 | The Christmas Spirit is Alive in Afghanistan 1/3/2006 - KABUL, Afghanistan (AFPN) -- When most people think of Christmas, they think of spending quality time with family and friends, sitting around a beautifully decorated tree, opening brightly colored gifts and eating a feast of homemade goodies. Read More >> |
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