Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.
~~~~~William Wordsworth
Amongst the daily tasks of this thing I call 'my life', I try to catch a few spare minutes to lose myself in the writings of those books that I've purchased or have been blessed to receive for review. Just recently, one such book arrived in the rural mailbox at the end of my drive; Afghan Journal. This book is one that I shamelessly begged getting sent by the author, Jeff Courter. Jeff is a friend on Facebook, and has created a 'fan page' for his book there as well.
On to the book; Afghan Journal and the author...
Written by a SFC stationed with the Illinois National Guard, who volunteered for deployment to Afghanistan as a member of an ETT to the ABP, which are the acronyms for Embedded Training Team to the Afghan Border Police. (Doncha know there's more to that alphabet soup than just letters?) SFC Jeffrey Courter didn't keep a mil-blog while there but did write his thoughts in a journal which he shared with many via a website hosted by Rev. Charles Henderson, and
GodWeb.
You might think that Jeff is just another citizen soldier in the National Guard, but you'd be wrong. His military service is long and varied. You see, he first stepped up on the wall with the other watch dogs when he joined the Marines right after high school. After serving two years, received an honorable discharge, he attended Ohio State University where the GI Bill didn't quite cover the cost of his education. Thus he decided to follow his father's footsteps and joined the Navy Reserves. While in the Navy Reserves, he was trained as a cook as that had been his MOS/job while in the Marines. Gotta love those men who aren't afraid to be in the kitchen. So now he has accumulated another 26 years of military service. A total of 28 YEARS, so far. Even after reaching mandatory retirement, and not being paid, he continued to attend drill weekends for over a year. After being told several times that his service wasn't needed by the Naval Reserves, he decided to talk to a National Guard recruiter. And yes, you'd be correct in the assessment that they jumped on the chance to have a well seasoned Guardsmen. In May 2005, at the age of 48, he became a Sergeant First Class (taking a reduction in rank and pay from his Senior Chief status as a Naval Reservist.
Sorry, Naval Reserves, but I think you screwed up when you overlooked and turned down this patriotic man.
Keeping up so far? SFC Courter started training with the Illinois National Guard outside of his home near Chicago. This time his MOS (military occupation speciality) was CSS (25U). Oh, that would be communications. You know, radio, computers, that kind of stuff. Signaleer if you will. All very important stuff, because everyone knows if you can't communicate with other units or other team members outside of your immediate vicinity, you could be in for some major headaches. It also helped that he had worked for AT& T for 14 years.
SFC Courter had spoken to his CO with the desire to deploy to Afghanistan or Iraq as he had a keen sense of needing to help stop those types of men who could and did do what was done on 9-11-2001. Thankfully, his CO remembered his offer, and finally took him up on that very thing...deployment to Afghanistan.
In the pages of his journal, Jeff details the travails and irritations that accompany the men who aren't part of large contingent of personnel. Most often, the plans are changed many times from the original anticipated plan of action or mission. In the last few years, I've often said of Big Army...
"Just wait...things/plans will change, much like the weather here in the Cincinnati area."
Jeff also has written what it was like for his family as well as friends and church family to come to grips with his future deployment. He also has seen the indifference of those who don't have a dog in this fight, and their lack of interest of what he and his brothers in arms are doing and the reasons for those actions. I'm still hopeful that the attitude of the indifferent will change in the near future. Perhaps as this year progresses, it will open the eyes of many.
All in all, Jeff's book of his experiences in his year spent in Afghanistan have given me one more glimpse into the mindset of those men we call...HERO. One well worth the read by everyone in America. Please
go here to get your copy of this well written memoir of a Warrior.
Yes, SFC Jeffrey Courter, you are indeed a returning Hero. Just ask your family. Many, many thanks go to you and them for all the sacrifices that were given during your time in the Land that Time Forgot. Without a doubt in my mind, you have made a difference in the lives of those you met and worked with in the ABP and the local Afghans whose lives were enriched by your determination to do something.
Oh, one more thing. Do yourself the favor of going over to visit Jeff's blog;
Life, Love & Truth.
And so it goes......
