In 2017 I was blessed with the opportunity to deploy overseas and be a part of the Mosul Offensive in an effort to eliminate ISIS out of city of Mosul, Iraq as a part of Operation Inherent Resolve. We were attempting to conduct asymmetrical warfare as a Blackhawk Helicopter Unit during a significant combat operation. The goal was to see if we could operate in small units with 2 to 3 helicopters to embedded with various operatives on the ground over four different countries at once while maintaining proper tactics, mission tempo, and phase. The goal was to be nimble and fast.
Due to the severity of the offensive we always had one flight crew on "Alert" to be able to respond with a quick reaction force to whatever situation might arise. Being the Alert Crew was always hard because it was typically at the end of your work cycle before you had a rest cycle and you had to be ready for anything at any moment. This crew would have the helicopter pre-flight and checks complete, all mission gear ready, conduct an engine run-up, crew briefs complete, and leave the helicopter in position to start the engines in a mater of a few minutes. The Alert Crew had to be on their game. They would run through countless scenarios that could arise, practice emergency procedures, monitor the forward line of troops in comparison to known enemy positions, and they would remain in the Tactical Operations Center waiting for the phone to ring, waiting for the call...
Are you on "Alert" for your faith? Could you share the Gospel right now? What would you say? What scripture would you go to? Where is your Bible? Can you articulate your testimony? Are you willing or ready to have a gospel conversation with a co-worker or will you let the moment pass? Have you felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit to do something and would you do it? Are you ready? Are you waiting on the call..
Too often in our jobs we stay on "Alert" because our jobs depend on it, the business depends on it, our paychecks depend on it... but are we willing to stay "Alert" for our soul or the soul's of the lost?
As we start a new school year we are preparing our students to be on "Alert." We are preparing them to be ready for the call. Chris Sutterfield articulates this well in his textbook, Standing Firm: Developing a Biblical Worldview. "We desire for our students to leave this school not only with hearts of love for God and their fellow image-bearers, but also with theological backbones of steel. We want our students, in the end, to know what they believe, why they believe it, and how to live what it is they believe all for the glory of God. We want them to be able to stand firm on the solid and unchanging Word of God, in the midst of a culture that is shifting , like sand beneath their feet."
Be ready for the call.
Lead NWA well this week!
- Dr. Keith McDaniel
