Warrior Spirit

Most of humanity has no concept of what the"warrior spirit" is.  The film industry would have us believe that it involves a bloodthirsty "kill them all" attitude.  Those of us who've been in combat understand just how far from the truth this belief is.  If you want to comprehend the depth of meaning surrounding the concept of your
mortality, serve in combat with your buddies.  Combat is a deeply personal affair.  All that you've ever known about yourself will become as defined as the razor sharp edge of a well honed knife.  Combat is about the will to live, and the protection of your team mates.

Fighting units are grouped in ever larger size from the platoon up to the size of an army however; the small team is the basic building block upon which an army fights.  The human bonds at this small level are the true strength behind any military outfit.  Nobody really thinks about being heroic.  Most of us concentrate on doing our job and having our buddy's back because, you know that he's got your back.  Quite simply, we fight for the guy to our left and right.

Fear, compassion, humor and anger are common combat emotions.  You need all of them to survive.  Fear? Combat makes you very aware of the fact that the only things you truly have control over are your own actions and this can be a very scary thing to come to terms with.  Compassion?  The uninitiated amongst us are probably wondering how you can be compassionate during war?  Compassion grounds your humanity. Lose it and you risk losing yourself.  Humor?  Humor remains the most vibrant means for relieving stress. People do funny things in a stressful environment.  Having a good laugh lowers your heart rate, increases the flow of oxygen into your respiratory system and clears the mind thus enabling you to make better decisions that may end up saving your life.  Anger?  Witnessing one of your buddies get "hit" will make you angry. How you deal with it is the important thing.  Honor him by focusing on the task at hand.  It is not the killing that is important.  Achieving the mission is your paramount concern.

While serving, on many occasions I heard the saying, "Once a warrior, always a warrior."  I never truly understood the significance behind those words.  Now I find myself in my 50s and I believe I have found out why that saying is so important.  In many ways, having served in combat has defined who I am.  I can thoroughly enjoy the moment and don't spend much time wondering about what might be.  I don't often experience fear or anger these days but I sure am focused on humor and compassion.  I would lose myself if I didn't enjoy a good laugh every day and spend time with family and friends.  Silently, I stand in the background and reminisce on where I've been, what I've seen, and take strength in the fact that I am a warrior.