Modern Warriors by Pete Hegseth

Author:Pete Hegseth
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Broadside e-books
Published: 2020-09-28T00:00:00+00:00

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UNDERSTANDING HIS CONTRIBUTIONS

It wasn’t until about a year ago, when I met and became friends with Marcus Luttrell, that I was better able to put my experiences in Iraq in perspective. I said to him, “I was just a pilot.” He said, “Look, not everybody is a Navy SEAL and went through what I went through. What you guys did was so important.”

That meant a lot to me. I know what I experienced, but there was always this lingering sense that I wasn’t kicking in doors and all that. But other than having our base taking mortar fire, I never really felt the kind of fear those other guys must have being in direct action.

I was pretty fearless at twenty-eight or twenty-nine, but I did feel vulnerable while in Iraq. I remember landing the aircraft and the base came under attack. A lot of times, we’d land or be in line for takeoff and we’d have to stop and sit there. I remember just sitting there and thinking, “Boy, I’m going to take one of those mortar rounds right here in the cockpit.” But that never really worried me. Even when flying and my weapons alert alarm went on signaling an incoming missile, I was able to keep calm. I was more worried for the guys on the ground.

Unfortunately, I saw firsthand the negative effects that combat can have on individuals. A few buddies from the air force struggled post-deployment. More so, I saw the lingering effects of combat on my grandfather, Harry Kinzinger.

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