True Grit

Is there a more appropriate day to run this article than the Army's 234th birthday? Wounded soldier Erik Castillo embodies the warrior mentality applied to the stripped-down basics of living--improvise, adapt and overcome:

Five years have passed since he woke up drooling and paralyzed in an Army hospital with a coconut-sized hole in his cranium... [snip]

Castillo, she said, has succeeded at one of the most difficult things a human being can be called upon to do: create a new vision of the world and his place in it.

You really should read it all. You won't regret it.

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A Marine Goes to War as a Soldier

It would take a book--and far more personal revelations than I care to make--to explain what a dear friend Sgt. B is, and the impact of that friendship.

And now he's heading off to war. It's what he has wanted and what he has worked very hard for, even before he signed up two years ago. So I'm proud of him, happy for him, and...

That's the thing about grown ups, we manage to hold conflicting feelings and use our minds to choose which ones we will feed and build on. And every day is looking better over there.

So... smiles, hugs and cheers for Sgt. B! We've proudly got your back.

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"Normal Humans Wouldn't Do That"

Cpl. Ayers has reportedly been given a posthumous promotion and Bronze Star with V for his actions in the battle last weekend. He was at the observation post for the FOB, a position at which 7 of the 9 soldiers manning it died. He was apparently not the only soldier who fought that day with tremendous valor.

Stars and Stripes has a riveting, heartbreaking account of the battle as told by survivors now recovering at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center:

"I just hope these guys’ wives and their children understand how courageous their husbands and dads were," said Sgt. Jacob Walker. "They fought like warriors." [snip]

Cpl. Jonathan Ayers laid down continuous fire from an M-240 machine gun, despite drawing small-arms and RPG fire from the enemy. Ayers kept firing until he was shot and killed...

"It was some of the bravest stuff I’ve ever seen in my life, and I will never see it again because those guys," [wounded soldier] Stafford said, then paused. "Normal humans wouldn’t do that. You’re not supposed to do that — getting up and firing back when everything around you is popping and whizzing and trees, branches coming down and sandbags exploding and RPGs coming in over your head … It was a fistfight then, and those guys held ’ em off."

I imagine some additional places have been set at Fiddler's Green...

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MG Lynch, Part II: Security

"We're close to that."
- MG Rick Lynch, Commanding General, 3ID/MND-C

As outlined in Part I, the shift in security in 3ID's Area of Operations since they arrived has been startling. The biggest reason attacks are down to less than two per day is that there are simply fewer hardliners left to cause problems. In the last year, 3ID has killed or captured over 6,000 al Qaeda terrorists and insurgents in the AO, reports MG Lynch. But though attacks are down sharply, Lynch refers to the security situation as "tenuous" because the enemy is still capable of what he describes as isolated spectacular attacks such as lethal bombings.

However, Lynch does not see opposition forces as capable of coordinated and sustained action. "We’re at the point now where we believe there is no more than 100 AQ in our area…in isolated cells of 5 or 10 people," he reports. The situation is similar in regards to what he calls "Shia extremists." Though they number at an estimated 650, they are not connected and coordinated.

Some of the analysis of recent operations in Southern Iraq has described resistance as being comprised of largely criminal elements, despite whatever ideological affiliations such elements may claim. With that in mind, I asked MG Lynch how much of the attacks or unrest in his area was simply criminal activity. He again pointed to the remaining pockets of al Qaeda, but added that "Many Shia [insurgents] are purely motivated to criminal activity," and repeated a line I've heard him use before: "The best way to train for Iraq these days is to watch the 6^th season of The Sopranos.

Another big factor in the improved security situation in 3ID's AO is the continuing development of Iraqis creating and maintaining their own security, of which Sons of Iraq and Iraqi Security Forces (army and police) are a significant part. MG Lynch described the SOI program as "maturing" and swelling to 40,000 participants. The SOI "provide sustainable security, which is defined as locals under positive control securing their community."

The development of Iraq Security Forces themselves has obviously pleased MG Lynch. "Great progress with ISF," he enthused, mentioning three patrol bases that are currently being transitioned to the control of Iraqi units. "It’s an amazing thing to me—the progress that is being made in the Iraqi Army."

Within the 3ID AO, the Iraqi Army is comprised of 14 brigade-size units that are near fully functional. "In the majority of cases, they are capable of planning and executing operations on their own," MG Lynch reported. "All they need is logistic or supply support. [There are] several provinces where they are fully in the lead, including Wasit and al Kut."

The big issue with ISF today is the police. This is one area that obviously concerns MG Lynch. "Not making a lot of progress improving the capability of police," he laments. Corruption/lack of professionalism is a huge problem with many Iraqi police units.

Part of the challenge comes down to a problem with availability of Coalition personnel. There are 96 Iraqi Police stations within 3ID's AO, but there are only 27 Police Transition Teams (civilian/military training and mentoring units). This leaves the vast majority of new Iraqi police units under-trained and unsupervised. With the Iraqi Army now taking the lead more and more, this is 3ID's current focus in the area of ISF development. When I spoke to MG Lynch last week, a reorganization and restructuring of the Military Transition Teams was underway in an attempt to--wherever possible--move qualified Americans from the MiTTs into the PiTTs.

Despite generally good security in the AO, what MG Lynch calls "continuing pressure on the enemy" remains an important part of 3ID's mission. For example, as part of Marne Piledriver, there are significant combat operations in Wasit Province and al Kut (two of the provinces where Iraqi Army units are in the lead). However, Lynch was quick to point out the ways in which combat and stabilization operations go hand-in-hand in counter-insurgency. "At the same time," he said, "you do what you can do to meet the needs of the populations." This includes building governing institutions and relationships, efforts in which he has reported "significant progress."

When I asked MG Lynch about relations between the various religious factions, he replied flatly, "No sectarian violence at all." He said many local councils have Sunni/Shia working together very effectively, a pattern that is also seen in the SOI units. He believes he sees the population coalescing around common bonds and fundamental desires: "People identifying themselves as Iraqi, not as members of a sect." He spoke of a focus among Iraqis--across a variety of backgrounds--on basic safety, good jobs, and the opportunity to improve their station. "I’m convinced more than ever that the people of Iraq want what you and I want," he said with conviction.

I also asked MG Lynch if he believes the AO has "turned a corner," that if current troop levels and Iraqi capabilities were unchanged there would be no going back to the violence and chaos of the past. He declined to use such language, but he is obviously optimistic. "We’re working towards irreversible momentum," he replied. "And we’re close to that."

In the final installment (tomorrow): economic development, transition and expected challenges for 3ID's MND-C replacements, and the burden of long and repeated deployments.

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Live from Iraq: MG Rick Lynch

I’m convinced more than ever that the people of Iraq want what you and I want.

Last Thursday I spoke by phone with Major General Rick Lynch, Commanding General, 3rd Infantry Division (Multi-National Division - Central), currently in Iraq. He answered questions for about 35 minutes, discussing the current security situation, redevelopment efforts, the strains of long/repeated deployments and his attitude toward media outreach. I did not bring up the issue of Iranian influence in Iraq, as he recently spoke about that in great detail here. 3ID is headquarters for MND-C, with an area of operations beginning on the southern edge of Baghdad province and continuing south through Karbala and Najaf, stretching from Iraq's eastern to western border.

In the last year or so, no commanding general in Iraq--outside General Petraeus himself--has been more visible and accessible to American media of all stripes than MG Lynch. This is not by accident.

When interviewing senior leaders of 3ID, I have always prepared by scouring the Internet for information about the division's activities. Such information was usually available in copious quantities--through numerous radio and TV interviews with local stations, audio and written interviews with bloggers, and even a website devoted to chronicling 3ID's efforts. I did not realize how unusual this was... until I sought information on other U.S. Army division-level commands in Iraq last February and came up largely empty.

I asked MG Lynch what inspired such an obviously intentional program of local/alternative media engagement. His opening sentences surprised me with their carefully-considered conviction and intensity: "I do believe it’s imperative that the American public know how their national treasures are being committed--both people and money...It’s important that we tell the story." It was obviously not about "countering the mainstream media" or "balancing the reporting" so that good and bad news get equal time. For MG Lynch, it was about making sure that the American public be as informed as possible about the broad story of what their military is doing and what results from those efforts.

MG Lynch went on to explain that during his time as spokesman for Multi-National Forces - Iraq in 2006, he had been made acutely aware of the challenges in getting out that broad story. "I had a year of dealing with the media and I understood the complications of trying to get the story back to the American public. [But] the public deserves to know what is going on."

As spokesman he'd had a front-row seat to the pattern of a "bad" story such as a particularly bloody battle, or a mistake, or a soldier misdeed being almost instantly scooped up and reported in the national media, while positive news often went nowhere. The pattern continued when he took command of 3ID. He voiced his irritation to me with particular intensity. "I find myself so frustrated trying to get through the national media filter. Good news—which is generally what I have to tell these days—just doesn’t get through."

As an example, he relayed his experience with what his parents have been hearing about Iraq while he is deployed. "I’ve called my parents every Sunday, my entire adult life... One Sunday about 2/3rds of the way through the deployment, I called and my father asked, 'Are you still over there? Because there aren't any reports about you anymore.'"

He also reported his reaction to one day overhearing a news anchor state that, "The news from Iraq today is that there is no news."

"That’s not true. That's just not true," he recalled responding with vehemence. And so, the decision was made to focus on local and alternative media outlets to make sure Americans at home were informed about what was happening in 3ID's AO.

MG Lynch reports he has been pleased with the results so far. "I've been very happy with what we’ve done recently--lots of cards and letters from people who have heard of the progress we’re making, but didn’t hear it from major media...I don’t’ know how we as a society look at the bad news and not the good news...But there is so much good news over here. It is palpable, the progress being made.”

That progress can be seen and felt in both the numbers and activities associated with 3ID's work in Iraq. When 3ID arrived in the AO fourteen months ago, Coalition forces were dealing with 25 attacks per day, and significant combat operations continued through much of 2007. By January when I began interviewing the 3ID senior leadership, attacks in the AO had fallen to four per day, though proactive combat operations continued in carefully-targeted areas.

MG Lynch now reports that with less than two attacks per day against Coalition forces in his AO, current activity highlights a marked shift to stability-related operations. The most recent division-wide effort is Operation Marne Piledriver, which has a battle component aimed at isolated pockets of insurgents and al Qaeda, but is largely focused on improvements to infrastructure and economic development. Says MG Lynch, "Where there used to be major points of violence, now we’ve got people with their needs being met by the government of Iraq and by us... Conversation [when I talk to residents] is about jobs, not about security."

Coming up in Part II and Part III: greater detail about security, the challenge of the Iraqi police forces, economic development and governmental "capacity-building," sectarian relations, MG Lynch's thoughts on a "broken" army, and the imminent transfer of authority for MND-C to 10th Mountain Division.

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Falling with Style

In recent travels through the blogosphere, I stumbled across a great story by a chaplain who used to be an infantryman. If I recall correctly, this is the same chaplain who wrote so vividly and movingly about being at the hospital in the aftermath of the 2004 bombing of the D-FAC in Mosul. [Warning! Nobody gets seriously hurt in this more-recent post from 2006, but there are pictures of the author's bloodied head. ]

Everything mentioned above went as it should, right up to the point where I steer toward a nice soft landing spot. The wind had other ideas. The location of our jump today was a small “mom and pop” airport in rural Georgia. The runway is surrounded by nice soft, just-harvested peanut fields and we all wanted to land in that soft dirt. And we all did. Except me! The universe conspired to move me to the place where I would be most likely to get hurt. So as I descended and attempted to hit the dirt, I simply drifted toward the concrete landing strip and kept saying to myself, “This is gonna hurt!”

Read it all for the punch line at the end, though if you've known a lot of soldiers, you probably already know what it is...

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Army Spam?

I use Yahoo as my primary email address. In the last few days I've received four or five emails from "army.mil" addresses, and every single one of them ended up in my spam folder. Half of them didn't have a link in them, and none seemed to have words that should flag them as spam.

Now, sometimes non-spam email gets flagged as spam because another address on that server is being used to spam people, but how would emails coming from an Army server get labeled spam?

Weird.

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Interviewing the Big Guys

Last Friday I had the surprising experience of interviewing--in my capacity as a "Denizenne" of The Castle--the 3rd Infantry Division Chief of Staff, direct from Baghdad.

As I understand it, 3rd ID is reaching out to bloggers and other independent media at a more engaged and detailed level than the blogger roundtables that the Office of the Secretary of Defense facilitates. It is an ongoing process, with selected bloggers receiving repeated, one-on-one interview time with individuals in leadership positions. Finding myself involved in this is somewhat shocking, but I'm very glad to have the opportunity (next week I will interview the Division CSM).

The interview with the CoS was extremely educational, both in direct content and in time spent preparing. It was interesting to interact with someone in Iraq right now who can see things from from a "forest-level" perspective rather then the anecdotal level we get through deployed bloggers (entertaining and invaluable/irreplaceable though those milbloggers are).

I don't want to read too much into the CoS' comments, but there were two moments in the interview that jumped out at me, times when he seemed particularly passionate about what he was saying. The first was when he was talking about the evil (his word--said after a hesitation, as if he wasn't sure he should use it, but then he said it with emphasis) that is killing Iraqi "families, women and children." The second was when he spoke of his "appreciation" for Iraqis' courage and determination, which came from living among them during his previous deployment to Iraq. That admiration also came through in his excitement in reporting how much the Iraqis had been involved with Ashura security.

If I may be so bold... He may have a desk jockey job, but underneath it all I'm betting he's still a front-line soldier--it's obvious where his heart is, where he'd rather be, and how much he believes in the nobility of the mission. It's encouraging to find a warrior's heart in such a high administrative position. [And it's great to see senior officers these days are starting to have had at least one "boots on the ground" wartime deployment before they move up. The senior generals are still from the peacetime military, of course, but it's good to see experienced guys moving up the ranks like this.]

He was a challenging interview for someone like me, and I don't think I'd want to sit down and have a drink with him. But I came away with a great deal of respect for him.

Lessons learned?

1) Prepare more questions. I thought I had more than an hour's worth, but I was wrong because most of his answers were quite succinct. We were fine until I ran out of questions and tried to make 'em up on the fly--asked a couple of stupid ones, and he sounded irritated by them. However, it couldn't have been too bad because they've invited me back. ;)

2) Ask more more open-ended/general questions. Even though I asked very few yes/no questions, looking back on it, I think my questions were still a little too specific at times (leading to his shorter answers).

3) Relax. I was so focused on sounding competent and professional that I never relaxed enough to find the right words to truly break the ice.

It was a challenging interview, all the way around. Hopefully I'll be able to improve in the next one.

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Meet "LT G"

If you've been reading Blackfive (as you should), you've already met scout platoon leader "LT G" of Kaboom: A Soldiers' War Journal. If not, here's another chance:

...Man-sweat and body heat saturated the room, despite the front doors and all the windows in the immediate area being wide open. I decided no air was worth fighting through this scene, and I began to plan the details of my great escape to the Internet room. My slight hesitation proved costly, as Sheik Abu Franco - the leader of the most undisciplined and disorganized and corrupt local citizenry group in our AO – slithered in next to me, having already gathered up an interpreter. Like a ‘roidhound baseball player testifying before Congress, I was stuck.

The last two paragraphs are the best part.

If tales of outside the wire are more to your interest, try this post. He hasn't been blogging long, but he's already on my sidebar--If you start at the begining and spend some time catching up on him, I promise you won't regret it.

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Another Unknown Hero

Last weekend in San Antonio I had the honor of meeting a bona fide hero (and new Valour-IT recipient), Private First Class Matthew Zajak, U.S. Army Infantry. A typically unassuming soldier no older than perhaps 20 years of age, he had to be prompted to tell his story, which he did in an interview that will be broadcast later this month.

In May 2007, PFC Zajak had been in the army only a year and a half when he spotted an IED (likely remote-controlled) just moments before the Humvee he was driving would pass it. It was too late to avoid it, but Zajak thought fast. Knowing he had a bit more reinforcement on the driver's side, he quickly maneuvered the vehicle in an attempt to pass the IED on his own side.

He was only partially successful...

The IED exploded half underneath PFC Zajak and half alongside the Humvee. The vehicle emptied as the rest of the occupants immediately took up ambush-response positions, but Zajak laid partially outside the Humvee, severely wounded. He described his reactions: "I looked for my leg and I couldn't see the end of it trapped in the vehicle. Uh-oh, that's not good. I lifted up my right arm and the wrist was flopping around, bleeding. Oooh, that's REALLY not good!" In San Antonio, he recounted this with a voice of detached surprise, inducing laughter in his listeners.

As he laid there in Iraq, he realized he was bleeding out, but initially called to no one. "With an ambush, I didn't want anyone else getting hurt rescuing me. But then I noticed the vehicle was on fire and I didn't want it to blow up on everyone again."

Young PFC Zajak was soon rescued and shipped home. Today he is missing his right foot and his left leg above the knee. His hands are also severely damaged, and he currently sports an external fixator that extends from his right forearm into the middle of the back of his hand. "It's jelly in there," he says of his right palm/wrist.

But thanks to PFC Zajak's sacrificial driving, the other occupants of that Humvee walked away with minor scratches/bruises and concussions, and returned to duty. His actions are now being investigated with an eye to awarding a valorous medal.

When I met PFC Zajak last weekend, he was only three weeks removed from his hospital room (staying as an outpatient at one of the Fisher Houses). His extended hospital stay was obvious in his gaunt look, but not in his upbeat demeanor and the vigor with which he tackled everything he did.

On a whim, a Soldiers' Angel and musician (Jeff Bader) had brought a guitar with him to give to someone at the BAMC party. After meeting Zajak, Jeff knew exactly who should receive it. PFC Zajak's eyes just about popped out of his head when he saw the instrument. But even more touching was the joy on the face of his father, who stared with pride at his son's scarred fingers picking clumsily at the strings.

The young man took to it like a duck to water, commenting with enthusiasm that he used to know some guitar chords, "Now I have to learn them again." He father added that guitar playing would help improve the dexterity of his mangled fingers. Zajak replied with a grin, "Yup. I have a project. Gotta get healed enough to play this thing!"

He spent the rest of the party telling his friends about the guitar, and I never saw him take his hands off it the entire time he was there.

And what does PFC Zajak say about his injuries? He's excited to be receiving prosthetics soon. "I'll be getting those computerized legs, like Robocop," he explains with a grin. "It's just different. No big deal. I'll be able to walk again, use this hand again [he waves the fixator].... Yeah, I lost my legs. But nobody got killed. That's what's important."

[PFC Zajak's quotes are from notes/memory. I will link to the interview when it is broadcast later this month, and I'm awaiting some photos of him playing his guitar.]

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Walter Reed and the Mail

Sadly this bit of news shouldn't shock anyone. But the way it's being dealt with is a refreshing change from the recent past...

The Army said Friday that it has opened an investigation into the recent discovery of 4,500 letters and parcels — some dating to May 2006 — at Walter Reed that were never delivered to soldiers.

And it fired the contract employee who ran the mailroom.

Hats off to MG Schoomaker, who I'm sure is still digging his way through the problems at Walter Reed. He obviously knows the importance of mail to a soldier. And shame, shame, shame on the contract employee who let a situation like that develop.

Sadly, it's not surprising to discover another case of mail-related incompetence at Walter Reed. As has been widely reported among the milblogs, around the time the living-conditions scandal at Walter Reed erupted last February and March, "Any Wounded Soldier" mail to the hospital was being restricted and returned to sender because there was "too much of it to deliver." In a despicable bit of irony, wounded-but-mobile outpatients were tasked with writing "return to sender" on cards, letters and packages.

But it sounds like the newly-installed MG Schoomaker is on top of things, with the right priorities and a willingness to do what needs to be done. Here's how he's dealing with the 4,500-piece mail backlog:

[He] said he ordered a team of 20 to 40 soldiers and civilians to launch an around-the-clock operation to screen, survey and forward all the letters and parcels. Items addressed to soldiers still at Walter Reed were being hand-delivered Friday night, he said.

"This delay is completely and absolutely unsatisfactory," Schoomaker said.

In some ways it's a "small" thing, but it's another indicator of proper, soldier-focused priorities. Glad you're there, Sir.

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Army Wife Stumps GEN Pace*

[8 June, 2007: Welcome, WSJ Readers. This post refers to the experience of a friend of mine who met GEN Pace at the recent "townhall" forum in Hawaii.]

Yeah, you read that title right. Homefront Six stumped General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I'm proud of you, HFS!

UPDATE: *Just to clarify, "Stumping the general" is meant to be half tongue-in-cheek, as far as I am concerned; I'm attempting to celebrate that HFS has asked a superb question that (hopefully) helps raise an important issue at the highest levels, and that she'd conducted herself with such poise/aplomb overall (I know GEN Pace doesn't control the Army's budget, but it my theory is that it can't hurt to increase his awareness).

And I celebrate her drawing attention to Soldiers' Angels (and thus Valour-IT) because SA has at times been blocked from offering assistance (such as at most VA hospitals, until very recently). So, increasing SA's visibility increases its opportunities to "support the troops."

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SPC Curtis Spivey

Looking online for information about the home opening game of my favorite baseball team, I noticed an ambiguous headline: "A Soldier's Sad Ending." It was about a soldier named Curtis Spivey.

Bitter and broken, Army Spc. Curtis Spivey didn't feel much like a hero when he came home to Chula Vista from his third tour in Iraq last fall.

A roadside bomb had blown up his Humvee near Baghdad on Sept. 16, wounding the soldiers inside and throwing him 40 feet in the air from his perch as the vehicle's rooftop gunner. The blast shattered his legs, bruised his brain and broke his back, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.

Spivey, 25, hated the thought of spending the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

“He was not a happy camper when he came here,” said Al Kovach, president of the Cal-Diego chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, who counseled Spivey during his recuperation at the VA Medical Center in La Jolla. “He kept the lights off, the shades pulled. The only person he would talk to was his father.”

But fortunately he didn't stay "bitter and broken."

But nurtured by the tough love of his ex-Navy dad and the worshipful love of his 2-year-old daughter, Mariana, Spivey had made what relatives described as a remarkable turnaround. Last weekend, he talked with his family about his future for the first time.

“He realized there was another life,” said his father, Joseph L. Spivey, 52, of Chula Vista. “He was looking to go to college, to start a second career.”

There's much, much more. But the tragedy of it all is that he died of a brain anyeurism on Monday, nearly seven months after he was wounded.

His name sounded vaguely familiar, but for the life of me I couldn't figure out why. Finally I got smart: I checked the Valour-IT requests, and sure enough... there he was; he'd had a Valour-IT laptop for at least four months. Maybe, just maybe it had a small role in moving him from that "bitter and broken" place in which he started and out into the light of hope for the short time he had left...

Rest in peace and with the love of those who knew you, dear warrior. Your spirit was fierce, but alas...

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Media and the Medal of Honor

I haven't written about Bruce Crandall's Medal of Honor here. Probably largely because I haven't had time to more than scan the posts and stories I've read about him. Others have covered it far more ably than I would. But strange that few of those who would do it "far more ably" are in the major media...

Mr. Crandall, then a major, commanded a company with the 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, carrying soldiers to a landing zone, called X-ray, in the la Drang Valley. An assault from the North Vietnamese army erupted, as described at the White House ceremony Monday. Three soldiers on Maj. Crandall's helicopter were killed. He kept it on the ground while four wounded were taken aboard. Back at base, he asked for a volunteer to return with him to X-ray. Capt. Ed Freeman came forward. Through smoke and bullets, they flew in and out 14 times, spent 14 hours in the air and used three helicopters. They evacuated 70 wounded. The battalion survived.

...In a less doubtful culture, Maj. Crandall's magnificent medal would have been on every front page, if only a photograph. It was on no one's front page Tuesday. The New York Times, the culture's lodestar, had a photograph on its front page of President Bush addressing governors about an insurance plan. Maj. Crandall's Medal of Honor was on page 15, in a round-up, three lines from the bottom. Other big-city dailies also ran it in their news summaries; some--the Washington Post, USA Today--ran full accounts inside.

There's been a lot of talk lately about being tired. I think I'm very, very tired of fighting something as hopeless as a major media culture that buries the story of a living MoH recipient on page 15...

More about LTC (ret) Crandall at Blackfive and Righty in a Lefty State incl. video), and superb coverage at the official Army site.

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JR Salzman

Even though he's a Valour-IT recipient, I haven't written about JR Salzman yet because his name was held up by some of the biggest blogs out there and I felt just linking to his blog from my humble abode wasn't going to add anything. But let's make sure JR doesn't slip off our radar screens now. Andi of Andi's World visited him yesterday and points out that he and Jossie (his wife) need as much love and support as we can give them. She says he "lights up" when he talks about the comments and attention he's received from the blogosphere so far, that it means more than he can describe.

Some of you may recall the long and difficult road Chuck and Carren have traveled; JR and his wife probably face an even more challenging recovery, since JR has completely lost a hand (rather than having partial use as Chuck does). It's going to involve a lot of psychological adjustment and physical retraining.

As Chuck and any other recovering wounded warrior will tell you, it's all about the mind--spirit and attitude have a tremendous impact on the rate and extent of recovery. JR has been amazing so far--despite whatever may be going on behind the scenes, he's been trying to focus on the positive and keep his fighting spirit. But the wounds of amputation are almost as severe to the spirit as to the body. Just like any other severely wounded person, he's going to have to move though some very dark times during his recovery, times when the love and support of others can provide the edge he needs to keep fighting for his future.

So, please don't forget about JR. His blog provides the perfect easy avenue for you to have a powerful impact through your supportive words. Put him in your favorites/bookmark list and drop by regularly to let him know you're thinking of him and Jossie, offer any other help you're in a position to give, and make sure they know that they are appreciated and remembered even when he's no longer on the frontlines. You don't have to be eloquent or long. Just a simple, "I'm praying for you and your family," or "You've been heavy on my heart," or a congrats when he reports progress lets them know they're not forgotten and can give JR the boost to keep going in the tougher times.

JR and Jossie have given us years of their service; it's only right that we give them our hearts and at least a couple minutes of our time...

P.S.: If you would like to better understand what amputees like JR are going through (and thus how you might best support them), I can't recommend a better civilian resource than Blood Brothers: Among the Soldiers of Ward 57 by Michael Weisskopf. [For the record, I get nothing for recommending the book; I just think it's a superb book for anyone working with or supporting amputees.]

Update: Over at Andi's, JR's mother has provided his address:

JR Salzman
Walter Reed Hospital
Ward 57 Room 5741
6900 George Ave NW
Washington, D.C. 20307

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Another Name from the Past

SGT Bryan Anderson, early Valour-IT Laptop recipient.

It was the last day of Valour-IT's first Veterans Day (2005) fundraiser, when I was still stunned by its success and thrilled Valour-IT was now a viable project. Amid that emotion, arrived an email requesting a laptop for Bryan, then just two weeks into his recovery. I shared it anonymously here: "If I have to think enough to comment on it, I will end up on the floor in a puddle of tears, and I don't have time to cry today," I wrote. The email read:

...He has a long road ahead of him. His mother said that they are doing everything for him and it is getting very frustrating for him. He wants to talk to his friends but he just is not ready to do it yet. With this laptop he will be able to communicate with family and friends and will be able to do it without the help of anyone. This is going to be the first step in showing him that he will be able to do things on his own.

When I told her about project Valour-IT, she almost cried. She couldn't stop thanking us for this wonderful gift and opportunity that you are giving to B. She says that B is a fighter and that he will be getting prosthetic legs. She also said that he will be water skiing again in the future. She is so upbeat and positive over all of this.

Thank you so much for this project. This project Valour-IT is an amazing project...

Less than four months later, in February 2006, Bryan was walking. The same correspondent shared:

B came in town for a benefit dinner to help raise funds for his family. He walked into the room with his prosthetic legs, he was smiling and overwhelmed at the support he and his family received. No one was aware that B was going to be there. I do not think there was a dry eye in the room. He still has therapy but his spirit is strong. He has an amazing support group of family and friends.

The laptop was the first step to the road to recovery. It proved that he was going to be able to do all the things that he did before.

I was once again overwhelmed.

And today, out of the blue, I found him on the cover of Esquire. As my correspondent predicted, he did do all the things he'd done before... and so much more:

I've been wakeboarding, water-skiing, jet-skiing, tubing, rock climbing, snow skiing, playing catch with my brother. I try to do the same things. I'm not going to let it stop me. We did a 110-mile bike ride from Gettysburg to Washington, D. C. Sixty miles the first day, fifty miles the second day. Hand cycle, three wheels. I ended up ripping the glove, breaking the hand, breaking the whole socket. I might do it a little differently, but I'm still going to do it...

He knows who he is:

This doesn't define me. It may be how I look on the outside, but it's not who I am. I guess you could remember me easily as being a triple amputee, but it's not who I am, has nothing to do with who I am. I've always been the same person...

His spirit is indomitable:

You have two options once this happens: Roll over and die or move on. I chose to move on. I'm still me. I'm just 75 percent off. Get a deal on Bryan Andersons this week. You know who actually told me that the first time? My mom. We were in Vegas, talking about T-shirts we should make, and she said "75 percent off." She said, "You should get a shirt showing off your personality."

I keep thinking back to that line: "The laptop was the first step to the road to recovery." I'm stunned, I'm touched, I'm humbled, I'm... I don't have words for what I am feeling. I don't think the right ones exist in the English language...

Just... wow.

[h/t Cop the Truth]

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"Sergeant X" Replies

Two weeks ago Sergeant X's request for a Valour-IT laptop brought him once again across my path. I wrote to him, doubting he'd remember me, but telling him how Valour-IT had started and that I was glad to be able to help him again. He replied today [SSG B handled Any Soldier packages from me for SGT X's unit after X was wounded]:

Hello and Merry Christmas.

Of course I remember you, how could I forget? I really am extremely happy to hear from you. It really is a small world.

Thank you again for what you are doing for all of the wounded. It does so much for us to know how much you guys really care and pay attention to what we have endured. Although, I will still tell you my injuries are not major and will tell anyone that, simply because I am still very capable of doing my job. I have all of my arms and legs and eyes for that matter, and the heart to continue on. The Doctors think I've done my part and since I want to stay in must change jobs... They have won, so far... lol!

Sorry to ramble on. It is really good to hear from you and I have been telling everyone the story of how we met and how we have come across one another again...and they are amazed. [SSG B] was like, "No way. That's God's work, no doubt!!" And I can't agree more. God works in mysterious and beautiful ways, doesn't he?

Well, you take care, and hopefully this email finds you in good spirit. I wish you and your family all the peace and happiness out there b/c you are truly wonderful. God Bless you, [FbL], and thank you for all you have done for me and continue to do for the Warriors of OUR GREAT NATION!!!

What a beautiful email! I was already having a great day, for a number of small reasons, but that just topped it off.

But note in particular his attitude, as highlighted in the bolded section. Chuck himself will tell you that there are certainly dark times during a warrior's recovery, but that "can do" positive attitude is very, very prevalent among the wounded. Obviously, SGT X has it in spades. The enthusiasm of that email sounds very similar to his communications before he was wounded, and I'm just thrilled that regardless of what he has endured in between, his spirit has obviously survived.

I still haven't stopped smiling...

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A Name from the Past (updated)

He was the first one to write to me from Iraq...

I had started writing to deployed personnel in the summer of 2004, using Anysoldier.com. It was back when they were still a small operation and I daily scrolled through the new/updated profiles, even those I hadn't written to. In September, one particularly caught my eye because "Corporal X" said that he was signing up his unit since they'd just suffered their first casualty: "I thought this would be a way to bring their spirits up a bit."

I was between classes, but I stopped right there and wrote CPL X a brief note, telling him that I was grateful for the service of his unit, that I knew the pain of losing someone, and that the service and sacrifice of his brother would be always be appreciated and remembered.

When CPL X wrote back, he was newly-minted SGT X.

He sent a handwritten letter straight from Iraq, and it bowled me over to hold in my hands something that had traveled so far, that was connected to those who were serving in such hardship on behalf of all of us. It's one thing to send hearfelt wishes to anonymous soldiers, but quite another to have someone write to you from the middle of a war. Suddenly there are shared names and now "real" people were reaching out to touch me. Silly me, I remember sniffing the envelope, wondering if it would smell different since it came all the way from Iraq.

His profile had been updated and it had a picture of him, complete with a great smile.

SGT X invited me to email him, and I did. I also sent him more letters and several packages full of snacks and field-specific hygiene items for his unit, since it seemed they were often "outside the wire." Surprisingly, I didn't hear from him again for six weeks. I was starting to worry, and began to daily check the lists of those killed in action.

Finally, just after Thanksgiving, I received an email [edited here for privacy]:

Thank you for all you have done for me and my men! I am no longer in [Iraq] but most of my men are. [About three weeks ago] our convoy was hit by a suicide car bomber and [many] of us got burned or injured in some form or another. We are all alive and healing so breathe easy knowing no one was killed... (thank God).

I was both relieved and horrified. In subsequent emails with Marty Horn at Anysoldier, I learned that he was at Brooke Army Medical Center. I worried he was seriously wounded, though he had played down his injuries and there was no indication he'd dictated the email he sent. I knew nothing about how wounded warriors were cared for and I felt so helpless... wondering whether there were people supporting him, wondering if he had what he needed, wondering what his prospects for recovery were, but afraid to bother him for any answers to my questions.

I didn't know how to help him, but in the next three or four months I sent him two emails (non-mil address), letting him know him he wasn't forgotten. He never replied. I began to think that perhaps his wounds were as non-descript as he'd implied and that he was already recovered and out and about, too busy to care about me. I didn't know then that his descriptions of dizziness and balance problems were the classic signs of TBI, or that the fact he was at Brooke implied serious burns...

Today SGT X crossed my path again. Two years ago when he was wounded I didn't know about Soldiers' Angels, I didn't know a thing about combat casualties, and even though SGT X had wounded hands it hadn't yet occurred to me that he wouldn't have adaptive computer technology at his disposal. But today I knew what it meant when I read the details of a request for a Valour-IT laptop:

1- 2ND/3RD DEGREE BURNS TO HANDS/FACE
2- LOSS OF HEARING
3- KNEE SURGERY TO REPAIR LIGAMENTS
4- BACK INJURIES(HERNIATED DISCS, PROTRUSIONS)
5- TBI FROM BLAST OF VBIED
6- PTSD

I knew the name the moment I saw it. Two years on, and he's still recovering. And in those last two years I've been busy. And now maybe I know how to help him. I only wish we'd started sooner.

Small world, huh?

Update: Before posting this last night, I wrote to my Valour-IT colleagues and told them I know SGT X and he's a great guy. Based on that (and his injuries), he was instantly approved. He happened to be at Brooke for a therapy apointment this very morning (12/15/06) and was able to meet Valour-IT's representative and pick up the laptop 15 minutes after he was called. Twelve hours from request to receipt (no, that's not normal). Pretty cool, huh?

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The Big Question in Life

Decisions, decisions...

My Blogfather Lex is Navy. I live in a Navy town.

My Blogbrother and Valour-IT behind-the-scenes-cohort John of Argghhh! is Army. My BF is Army.

What to do, what to do?!

It comes down to self-interest...

GO NAVY!!!
BEAT ARMY!!!

Yesterday I interviewed for a job on a Navy base. I want them to be very happy when they sit down and decide to hire me. ;)

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Creative Fundraising

This last fundraiser brought forth some great stories about creative or sacrificial giving for Valour-IT, but this one takes the cake, I think. Here's part of what recently appeared in my inbox:

I am in the PA Air National Guard and we would like to do a fund raiser for your organization during our December drill. Do you have any electronic copies of flyers or anything that we could use to inform people about Project Valour-IT? Anything you could send me would be appreciated.

Also, I am getting married in May and I would like to give a donation in the name of my guests as our wedding favor (we would give people a scroll telling them that we gave a donation in their name to Project Valour-IT). Would I just be able to send you my invitation list along with my donation?

The dedication and leadership to bring Valour-IT to the attention of her fellow guardsmen is great in itself, but it's the wedding aspect that really jumped out at me.

Weddings are almost always all about fantasy and perfection and idealistic beauty. But this couple will be interjecting the reality of the wounded into their wedding. By placing Valour-IT and its mission in front of their guests, they will be embracing the reality of war, sacrifice, and our responsibilities to those who have served. They will be honoring and including the very people who have played a sacrificial role in their ability to have a peaceful and joyous celebration of their love and their future. This is a level of maturity and lack of self-reference that is inspiring, a genuine celebration of life.

I hope my correspondent is in an official leadership position in her ANG unit, 'cause somehow I suspect she's quite good at that aspect of soldiering.

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