My Return From Japan
It has been awhile since my last blog. In the days following the earthquake and tsunami which devastated parts of Japan, I was directed along with an incredible team of service-members from my unit to respond. Within a few days we were on our way to help humanitarian efforts and also charged in helping to plan mass departures of American citizens and others if need-be.
In the month since, I was so lucky to witness two amazing things; first the incredible power of the American people to help those in need. We worked closely with the U.S. Embassy and other agencies in planning for every possible scenario. Our troops scoured the countryside in the worst affected areas to help the Japanese Defense Forces save lives and bring much needed food, water, and shelter to those whom the waters had ravaged.
I have been in war-torn countries and stood shoulder to shoulder with men and women fighting terrorists and criminals who would harm our way of life and while that is the first mission of my Army, there is no better feeling than watching American Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines standing shoulder to shoulder as representatives of the American people, selflessly working tirelessly to help a people. I witnessed it first hand in Haiti a year ago and I witnessed it again this time around.
It's easy to talk smack about "generation me", our current crop of young men and women, but when you see 18 and 19 year old kids working 16-18 hour days bringing comfort to the helpless, yeah it makes you believe the values we've held since the foundations of our country are in the DNA of this newest adult generation. You should be very proud of them all. Please keep them and the Japanese people in your thoughts and prayers.
The second thing which amazed me (and humbles me every time I go on one of these things) was the outpouring of love and support by colleagues, friends, and family. There is no better feeling than coming back to one's room at the end of a tough day and reading a message from a friend just checking up on you. I am the luckiest man on earth to have the love and support of amazing friends and family. I don't take it for granted.
Finally, the team of seven service members who left from my unit were absolutely well, I don't even have the words. They were, at the cost of sounding like a man with a small vocabulary and reusing this word yet again, AMAZING. I was by far the least amongst them and simply awed by their contributions.
Thanks to all and remember, I believe in you as always, you just have to believe in yourselves.
In the month since, I was so lucky to witness two amazing things; first the incredible power of the American people to help those in need. We worked closely with the U.S. Embassy and other agencies in planning for every possible scenario. Our troops scoured the countryside in the worst affected areas to help the Japanese Defense Forces save lives and bring much needed food, water, and shelter to those whom the waters had ravaged.
I have been in war-torn countries and stood shoulder to shoulder with men and women fighting terrorists and criminals who would harm our way of life and while that is the first mission of my Army, there is no better feeling than watching American Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines standing shoulder to shoulder as representatives of the American people, selflessly working tirelessly to help a people. I witnessed it first hand in Haiti a year ago and I witnessed it again this time around.
It's easy to talk smack about "generation me", our current crop of young men and women, but when you see 18 and 19 year old kids working 16-18 hour days bringing comfort to the helpless, yeah it makes you believe the values we've held since the foundations of our country are in the DNA of this newest adult generation. You should be very proud of them all. Please keep them and the Japanese people in your thoughts and prayers.
The second thing which amazed me (and humbles me every time I go on one of these things) was the outpouring of love and support by colleagues, friends, and family. There is no better feeling than coming back to one's room at the end of a tough day and reading a message from a friend just checking up on you. I am the luckiest man on earth to have the love and support of amazing friends and family. I don't take it for granted.
Finally, the team of seven service members who left from my unit were absolutely well, I don't even have the words. They were, at the cost of sounding like a man with a small vocabulary and reusing this word yet again, AMAZING. I was by far the least amongst them and simply awed by their contributions.
Thanks to all and remember, I believe in you as always, you just have to believe in yourselves.
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