Letter From Iraq

Hello Everyone. Dale has limited access to the Internet right now so I am doing a guest post. I have attached a copy of a letter that Dale wrote to Evan's Highschool Creative Arts Class at First Flight High School. The students in this class all wrote letters to Dale before he left to go to Iraq and his response to those letters is not only touching, it is very insightful and powerful. It is the best letter that I have ever read.

Enjoy your day everyone and please take some time out of your day today to VOTE!
Blessings,
Nancy Hamilton

Dear Ms Leatherwood & Class,

I want to thank you for all the letters you wrote to the soldiers in my Battalion. I took the time and read every one of them, and I am sure the guys will be impressed and moved by your support of them. Some of you pointed out that you either disagree or have reservations about the war, but still shared your support for the men & women defending our Nation. I am impressed with your honesty and your willingness to see beyond your personal feelings about why we are there. Our soldiers need and appreciate your support. Let me share a little about them and what they do.

Our soldiers are doing a job few are willing to do. The decision to join the military should never be one taken lightly. It is not for everyone. I once read that the bravest thing a soldier will ever do is sign up to serve, the rest is simply their duty. You should know that our young men and women are eager to serve their Nation even when death is starring them in the face. They believe there are things worth dying for and our way of life is one of them. I am not a soldier, but I am proud to be serving beside them. For the most part, they are unshakable in their commitment to making Iraq a safe place for families to live, play, and go to school, things we take for granted.

There is something else you should know. I have been on several missions with the units over here and they do a lot more than defeat the enemy. On one mission they traveled into hostile areas to deliver a wheel chair to an 8 year old girl who has never been able to walk and who is totally dependent on relatives to carry her if she moves at all. On another mission they delivered school supplies to two local schools. Things like back packs, chalk, pencils and paper. Again, things we take for granted. They check to make sure local health clinics are safe enough for people who need medical attention can go without fear. What they do is really incredible. They have even built schools and clinics when none exist or they are destroyed.

I am telling you these things because I think it is important to know that our Country does more than defeat the enemy. One thing that separates us from all other countries is our humanity and compassion for others. We may destroy, but we never leave without rebuilding and often leaving a nation better than it was to begin with.

I am so proud of our Country and the young men and women who defend her. I am also mindful of the many who served so valiantly yet never made it home to see the great things their sacrifice made possible. Next time you see a soldier thank them. They won't expect it and they don't do it for your thanks. They do it because they believe in something bigger than themselves. They believe in this great Country and they believe in you. They know that your freedom of speech is important, that your right to choose how to worship, where to live and what to become are important. They know how much you are capable of accomplishing when able to do so free of fear.

What our soldiers do and why they do it has nothing to do with politics. To engage in war is not their decision, that is left to our elected officials. However, our soldiers stand ready at all times to defend our freedom and the freedom of anyone who can't defend themselves against tyranny and oppression.
You can have no worse enemy or better friend than the United States Military. When duty calls they will be there.

Well I guess that is enough for now. In closing, I pray our soldiers will all come home safely knowing that many will not. I pray also for you. That you would honor their sacrifice by being the best you can be at whatever you choose to do.

God bless you all,

Evan's Dad

Dale Hamilton
1-63 CAB HHC LEP
FOB Mahmudiyah
APO AE 09322

Mission or Missions?

The other day I went on my first military mission although it reminded me more of missions work than what I believed to be military missions. While our trip served multiple purposes, most of which I cannot share, one of our goals was mission critical. We delivered a wheel chair to an 8 year old Iraqi girl who's only mode of transportation to this point in her life was to be carried by her relatives. While the wheel chair aided her relatives more than the little girl it was very gratifying to be part of such an important mission. Unfortunately you will never read about this in the paper or see it on the nightly news.
There were many children at this home and they were all so beautiful. I know it sounds odd, but that somehow amazed me as though I thought perhaps they would be ugly because of the ugly situation their country is in. These children look just like ours with the exception of most of them being brown eyed, black her and dark skin. They waved, smiled and just got excited seeing the American Soldiers. It was truly a blessing to be there.
One of the elder women of this family spoke to me as though I could understand and speak her language. She kept pointing at a young man, about the age of my son, and was obviously telling me a story about him. The interpreter came over and helped me when he saw I was struggling big time. The lady was telling me that the young man was an orphan. Terrorist had taken his father away and he had no other relatives. They were taking care of him.
Today a Sgt. delivered the message at Chapel on being salt and light to the world. It was delivered very well and really got me thinking about what our young men do. Whether they know it or not they are bringing salt and light to a very dark world. Whether they know it or not they are doing God's work and serving God's people.
I know we have a tendency of thinking of our soldiers as the best trained killers in the world, and they are, but to think that is their sole purpose is a gross misunderstanding of their mission.
These young men & women do what few will for little financial gain. They do it for little thanks and often for a Country that treats them as evil. Oddly enough they may never see the fruit of their labor, but just like us when we labor for the Lord none of it is in vain. The outcome is up to God. We are here to serve His purpose.

God bless you all and do what you can do, not expecting to see the beauty of what is to come.

In Country!

Hello everyone. I am now in Iraq and living the dream. To be able to support our troops and our Country in this way is extremely gratifying and truly an honor.
I hope everyone at the beach is doing well and adjusting to school and the quiet time we know as the off season.
I have not been able to blog in a while, but now hope to have an entry for you once a week. It is difficult to get to a computer and the Internet on most days, but I think once a week I should be able to manage.
As usual I have a request, please continue to pray for our soldiers, the Iraqi Army, Police and citizens, as well as the many civilians that are here in support of OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom).
It is overwhelming what the coalition troops are doing here. I am proud to be an American and of the many positive changes made to the lives of the people of Iraq by our Country and allies. You can be proud to whether you support the war or not. There are great things being done here and much more to follow.

God bless you all

Home

I have been home now since Friday night the 12th of September. Just a few more days and I head out again and rejoin the military family I am now a part of.
Coming home has been a truly wonderful thing for me. Just putting my toes in the sand, going to my Church, singing along with our worship team (it's the best in the world), seeing friends and especially spending time with my wife and kids.
Emily's Birthday was wonderful and we all had a good time celebrating together. I got to watch Evan play baseball on Sunday and that too was a blessing. Our team lost, but that didn't seem to matter to any of us.
It is so nice to have a home. Some place where you feel comfortable, where you can relax knowing you are among those that love you and care for you.
Thanks to all my friends for kindness to me and my family.
God bless you all and God bless and keep my family.

9-11 We Must Not Forget!

As I sit in my hotel room at 8:46 am eastern time, and listen and watch the events of that tragic day repeat themselves, I still feel the same intensity of hurt, anger & pride I felt that day in 2001 when I sat in a conference room just outside Washington, DC.
I was trapped in DC for the next three days fortunate enough to be staying in a friends apartment just blocks from the Capitol. I remember praying to get home for my daughters 4th birthday on 9-15, & at the same time wanting so badly to stay & some how help. That sense of helplessness is one that will allows be with me & I am certain is shared by all who love this great country and watched in horror as terrorists committed such horrific & cowardly attacks on this place we love.
As we remember the brave fire, police & emergency medical personnel who gave themselves in heroic efforts to save innocent Americans, please don't forget the soldiers who continue to give of themselves, their families and their lives.
The war on terrorism is not over. Please remember & do not be lulled in to the same false sense of security you may have found yourself in on 9-11, 2001 at 8:45am.
WE MUST NEVER FORGET!

By the way, I did make it home for my daughters birthday. I made it home because a friend was willing to make the journey to get me in his personal car at a time when all forms of public transportation were standing still.
Thanks David, you are a true friend.

As He Is

In a day and time when shopping is almost akin to therapy, we will usually find the clearance aisles loaded with products and people. There we can also see the "As Is" items-something is wrong with them, so we get them at bargain prices, take them home and fix them up. Imagine how God has taken us "As Is," full of flaws and imperfections. He has purchased us far above a bargain price, for it cost Him His only begotten Son. How immense is God's love for us that He would choose us for His own, cleanse us through and through, and transform us from "As Is" to As He Is." So if we ever feel like anything less, we can call to mind what God has fixed us up to be in Christ Jesus-a pearl of great price-for now we are the children of God.

Leticia Skelton

Remember our God delights in His children. You are loved!

Deployment as an act of worship

Today Pastor Waters spoke to a congregation largely preparing to deploy to Iraq. Scripture reading was from 1 Corinthians 10:31, "So whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." He spoke eloquently and very much too the point. He spoke of great sacrifice, death & fear. He acknowledged the great respect he has for our soldiers pointing out that God's word says, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).
Pastor Waters then reminded us that nothing we can do will get us to heaven apart from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Wow! That means that, even though our soldiers are willing to lay their life down for one another, they won't go to heaven without the knowledge and belief in the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
I guess it is sometimes understandable how some believe that earthly goodness will get you to heaven. However, we know the way, the truth & the light.
I am proud to say that there are many believers in our military, however, there are those that do not believe and really need our prayers. These are not good people, in many ways they are great people, yet their salvation uncertain.
Please pray for the truth to be revealed to all who are blind by the ways of this world. Pray for God's will in Iraq and His will in our lives as we pray that God will use us according to His will for His glory. If you Love the Lord you will suffer. May I count my time away from my beautiful wife and kids as my sacrifice for Jesus. Use me Lord according to Your will & bless my family with Your comfort & care.
God bless you all & God bless the USA. I love this country!