One Soldier's mission

Posted By Blackfive

Got this email from a small unit leader in Iraq.  It was interesting enough that I wanted to post it:

I got your letter a while ago.  Thanks for writting. It's always great to read letters from home.  How's everything going?  We're doing ok out here. Not much going on at all really...

...So, a while back I told you to remind me about a story I needed to tell you.  I suppose everyone who's been here has stories just like this, but this is mine and I'll share it.  I met a gentleman who shall remain nameless.  He is an Iraqi citizen who owns and operates a crane for the government.  I needed a crane, and since I don't know how to use one ... I needed an operator for the crane.  This gentleman worked harder for me than three of my own Soldiers.  I shouted orders at him all day long and he did nothing but the finest work.  He simply would not tell me no.  At the end of the day I shook his hand and said "Shukran" which is thank-you in Arabic.  He very humbly said you're welcome, he touched his heart and said goodbye.  The next day was more of the same, eight hours out in the burning sun and he would not quit or say no.  That day, my Soldiers brought him and his worker lunch.  We went inside where the sun wouldn't get to us, and I let him eat his lunch in the cool quiet sanctuary.  After he finished his meal, I finally got to introduce myself in arabic.  I said "ismee John, shismek?" He gave me his name and that opened the door for more conversation, and this was the moment that I'd been waiting for since I was told that I'd be leaving for Iraq.

 

He said "Sir, when we come here to work we feel safe.  It is when we go home at night that we are afraid."

 

Not only did now I understand why this gentleman, who was twice my senior, would work so hard for me, I finally understood my purpose, my directive, my mission.  It is simply to make this man feel safe if only for a little while.  If my presence here brings five more minutes of peace to this man, I'll feel I've done something worth while...

 

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One Soldier's mission

Got this email from a small unit leader in Iraq.  It was interesting enough that I wanted to post it:

I got your letter a while ago.  Thanks for writting. It's always great to read letters from home.  How's everything going?  We're doing ok out here. Not much going on at all really...

...So, a while back I told you to remind me about a story I needed to tell you.  I suppose everyone who's been here has stories just like this, but this is mine and I'll share it.  I met a gentleman who shall remain nameless.  He is an Iraqi citizen who owns and operates a crane for the government.  I needed a crane, and since I don't know how to use one ... I needed an operator for the crane.  This gentleman worked harder for me than three of my own Soldiers.  I shouted orders at him all day long and he did nothing but the finest work.  He simply would not tell me no.  At the end of the day I shook his hand and said "Shukran" which is thank-you in Arabic.  He very humbly said you're welcome, he touched his heart and said goodbye.  The next day was more of the same, eight hours out in the burning sun and he would not quit or say no.  That day, my Soldiers brought him and his worker lunch.  We went inside where the sun wouldn't get to us, and I let him eat his lunch in the cool quiet sanctuary.  After he finished his meal, I finally got to introduce myself in arabic.  I said "ismee John, shismek?" He gave me his name and that opened the door for more conversation, and this was the moment that I'd been waiting for since I was told that I'd be leaving for Iraq.

 

He said "Sir, when we come here to work we feel safe.  It is when we go home at night that we are afraid."

 

Not only did now I understand why this gentleman, who was twice my senior, would work so hard for me, I finally understood my purpose, my directive, my mission.  It is simply to make this man feel safe if only for a little while.  If my presence here brings five more minutes of peace to this man, I'll feel I've done something worth while...

 

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