Indivisible by Travis Thrasher

Author:Travis Thrasher
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2018-09-13T00:00:00+00:00

THE SEVENTH MONTH

1

November 4, 2007

Hey, folks! Another fine day here in Iraq. Cool evenings, down into the lower fifties. Highs during the day are mideighties. I never thought it’d come. I’m currently at another location for a few days, at a chaplains’ retreat. The units in-country that have had a tough time, unit ministry teams were invited to this retreat. It’s a time to get away, relax, pray, and fellowship with other guys in the same boat.

I had no idea how many people know of our battalion. When I told them I was from 1–30th Infantry Battalion, they were like, “Oh, wow. We’ve heard of you guys. Y’all have had a tough time.” It was an awkward reverence, kind of a hushed respect. It was humbling, but I was reminded just how fierce of a summer it has been for us.

Man, it’s nice here . . . It’s at one of the “super FOBs” in-country (very large base with lots of amenities). I had Taco Bell last night for dinner . . . with sweet tea! They also have a Pizza Hut, an indoor pool, and a huge movie theater. My room has a double bed and a TV. I watched NFL all night last night. Very surreal. It’s a former Iraqi air base. Saddam used to come here to watch his military in action. Oh yeah, and if you messed up while he was here, bye-bye (in the worst kind of way)! But they had nice facilities, and when we took over, we kept them nice. It’s a totally different existence here. I almost feel embarrassed, as our base and patrol bases are so far removed from this kind of living. Here they rarely get mortared or shot at on patrols. I’m trying not to be judgmental when I hear conversations in the dining facility about he said, she said—knowing others would give their left toe to live like this. But . . . I count it a blessing just to get to spend a few days here and live almost like a king. I probably won’t tell my guys too much about it, though. I think they’d be a little angry.

My guys are doing well as a whole. Our sector is still doing amazingly well on the battlefield, but there are pockets of trouble on another front. We’ve been here almost six months now. More than a few guys will be getting their divorces finalized after going home. Home-front issues are really becoming a problem for many. A chaplain friend of mine told me once that deployments strengthen strong marriages and weaken weak ones. That is so true. The long deployments affect much more than just the soldier. And the kids involved . . . It hurts to hear these guys talk about a family falling apart. I try to encourage them and challenge them to do the right thing, especially for their kids, and to ultimately look in the mirror and stop blaming everyone else. Pray for our families.

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