9/11

9/11 is a very important day in my life. It led me on an unanticipated vector that was dramatically different than what I had originally anticipated. Like many students who go through the military's Health Professions Scholarship Program, I thought I would serve my obligation and move on to the next step as a civilian practitioner. Little did I know that my career would be so influenced by events that happened seven years after my original commission.

We talked about the "Great Commission" in Bible study last night at the University United Methodist Church. I have been attending that church regularly now. Matthew talks about how Jesus commissioned his disciples to go out into the world. I was struck by the parallel in the way that we, as military officers, are also commissioned in the U.S. to defend the Constitution. By no means do I want to imply that the U.S. has a religious mandate in its current course; if anything, I am simply pointing out the very powerful conviction and commitment that we must feel when we become officers - whether it is as a disciple, a chief executive, a policeman, or a military officer - and the strong sense of responsibility we must feel to carry out our respective charges.

My Air Force commission means much more now than it has ever meant before. I have been blessed with relative safety and supportive family and friends during my different deployments, particularly Tabitha who has been there from the beginning of my active duty career. These operational tours have expanded my understanding of the way in which we can project our awesome power into the world and given me an additional appreaciation for what we can achieve as a country. I have tried to live out my faith and stay true to my self in this context. The core values of the Air Force have been particularly important to me: Integrity, Excellence, and Service before Self. Each of them are guides in how I strive to be a good officer, husband, and father.

I can only hope and pray that our nation will find ways that we can achieve peace and prosperity in this current global conflict. My own assessment is that we are not using all of the instruments of power that are available to us. The military is an important component of our nation's arsenal but it certainly is not, by any means, our only one. A good mentor of mine expressed his hope that we, as a nation, might, at some point, again achieve greatness in the eyes of the rest of the world - a state where others look at us and express their heartfelt awe that the U.S. is a great country and a nation they would like to visit and emulate. This position should not be a goal, in and of itself, but it should be a product of our own ability to once again assert ourselves both domestically and overseas as an arbiter of freedom, hope, and prosperity.

I have been fortunate enough to witness that vision during many of my trips overseas before and since 9/11. The U.S. was highly respected in Germany when I was there back in 1988. Bush took over from Reagan and continued the active engagement in Europe with the Soviet Union. Nobody would deny that American tenacity across multiple administrations during the Cold War ultimately led to the downfall of that political entity. The outcome was truly great with independent political constructs that were now free to pursue their own destinies. When we visited Kophi Sophi, a small town outside of Bagram Air Base, in 2002 on a humanitarian mission or did other medical trips in Ghana in 2006, I have seen firsthand what is naturally desired of most any person, regardless of their national affiliation or religious background; they want their children to grow up in a safe, healthy environment so they can pursue opportunities to lead productive lives. A parent or older sibling who brings a baby into these clinics is searching for these things and believes that we, as representatives of the U.S., can help them achieve these great goals. The perpetrators of 9/11 had other vicious reasons to prosecute their terrorist actions which continue to vex me, chiefly because their actions essentially brought additional hardship onto themselves and their own loved ones that are counter to these ideals of hope and love. Their cause is one of persecution, hate, and self-loathing and I can only conclude that our own cause is ultimately great and just and that we will prevail with discipline, perseverance, and a desire to choose the higher path to higher ground.