Dear family, friends and interested readers,
Shortly after arriving at the large airfield base in southern Afghanistan back in December, I was shown a desk where I could work as well as the location of the chapel and my sleeping quarters. I was then issued a special identification badge to allow me access into a restricted area and a cell phone so I could be contacted when on the base by the chaplain’s operation cell.
It wasn’t long before my phone buzzed with a text message and I realized that texting had followed me from the States into the war zone.
The text message read “Hero In Bound – ETA 1600”. Although I had not been informed to expect any texts, I quickly learned that this one meant a soldier, airman, sailor or marine had died on the battlefield a short time prior and was being transported by helicopter to my airfield base for the long flight home to his family and final resting place.
A short time later, as the American flags on the base were lowered to half-staff, a second message was received indicating that the “Hero has arrived” and the time the solemn Dignified Transfer would take place. The dignified transfer process here, which is somewhat a reverse of the process that happens when the aircraft eventually arrives at Dover Airbase in Delaware, involves the casket-like transfer case containing the remains of the military person being moved from the hospital by a military vehicle to a waiting military transport aircraft.
Near the aircraft, usually more than 200 military personnel from several nations line up in formation. After listening to a brief biography of the hero and a prayer from a chaplain, taps is played while 6 military pallbearers from the hero’s unit carry the flag-draped transfer case from the armored vehicle through the formation of saluting troops and up the ramp at the rear of the aircraft. Once the transfer case is secured in its travel position, a final prayer is said with the pallbearers and the hero’s commanders. As the aircraft prepares for departure, the formation of troops marches off the flight line and returns to their regular wartime mission.
Shortly after this, the 3rd and final message of the series is sent out indicating that the “Hero has departed the airfield” at which time the American flags on base are raised back up to full staff.
A day or two after the fallen warrior has left the battle space, a military memorial ceremony is held at the unit’s base camp and usually a portrait photo of the soldier is displayed on a special tribute wall at battalion headquarters. Some battalions, anticipating the possibility of casualties, bring to Afghanistan a folder containing portrait pictures for each of their soldiers. In addition to the memorial wall, military units here often remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice by naming a street or a building on the base after them and composing a video/photo tribute for fellow soldiers to possess.
At Bagram Airbase, there is a Book of the Dead displayed in the chapel with the inscribed names of all the United States service personnel who have died in Afghanistan since the war started more than 10 years ago.
Over the past 4 months, I have received many such “Hero inbound” texts and have felt an obligation to be present at their Dignified Transfers as a way to honor and offer a prayer for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. It is quite moving to be present with so many other personnel of all ranks who have chosen to leave their work stations or bed and honor a fallen warrior regardless of whether it is rainy or sunny, hot or cold, 1 in the afternoon or 4 in the morning, a known or unknown person. Sometimes other warriors who survived that specific tragic event with only wounds are also present for the transfer.
It is especially sad, though, when the original text indicates that a number of heroes are in bound. Such was the case when, in January, we honored 6 Marines who died in a helicopter crash.
For those of us of the Christian faith, the recent observances of Good Friday and Easter remind us that death is not the end and the Son of God desires us to share in His resurrection and in eternal life. Thus, as we send the fallen warrior home to his family with an aircraft, we also send the warrior home to God with our prayers.
As the news often reports, the most common threat to our troops are the IEDs, improvised explosive devices that are buried in the ground and blow up under the feet of walking soldiers or beneath a vehicle in a convoy. The IEDs are triggered by a pressure plate, by a long wire to an operator’s switch, or by an electronic signal transmitted from something like a garage door opener or cell phone.
Explosives have also been placed in parked vehicles and mud walls, driven to a location in a car or on a motorcycle and strapped to the body of a suicide bomber who then approaches coalition forces. When the explosives are detonated, they sometimes are accompanied by gunfire or an ambush attack. Two other types of attacks the troops have to deal with are rogue Afghan soldiers shooting coalition forces or rockets being fired at base camps.
When the siren goes off announcing a rocket attack or when we hear the explosion of a rocket impacting nearby, we have been trained to hit the ground in order to avoid being cut up by shrapnel. Concrete blast walls have been installed between some buildings, in the gym and in the dining facility to provide additional protection. Rocket attacks are usually short in duration but we have been instructed that after things are quiet for 2 minutes, to take cover in a nearby concrete bunker until the all-clear is given.
Upon arriving at one base, I inquired about the frequency of rocket attacks and was assured not to worry. It seems that after the first attack some years ago, the local man who believes in capitalism and thus rents his farm land to the military took care of the bad guy as an example so that no one will ever harass his tenants again.
Overall, I am fortunate that my experiences with all of the above threats have been minimal and that my room is in a hardened building so, if I am awoken by the attack siren, I am expected to stay in place.
Recognizing the potential for a rocket attack to cause serious injuries and a significant number of casualties, first-aid kits and stretchers have been placed around the base and even inside the chapel to enable a faster medical emergency response. Likewise, signs are posted identifying specific locations as casualty collection points where able-bodied individuals are to bring all of the injured in order to meet up with skilled medical personnel. Although it should be obvious to the folks using places like the gym, post office, food concessions, finance office, mess hall and USO center, signs have still been posted indicating that all activities will cease in the event of a rocket attack until the “all clear” is announced.
The policy also applies to gatherings in the chapel but we have been fortunate that the sirens announcing a potential rocket attack have not sounded during religious services in recent months.
With excessive blood loss being a major reason why injured soldiers die, we have all not only been issued tourniquets and trained to use them but also required to carry them in a specific pocket of our uniform so they are readily accessible to ourselves or others. Some soldiers who go out on foot patrols even attach loose tourniquets to their limbs in order to be able to limit their injury faster. What I learned back in Boy Scout first-aid training still holds true: it is better to lose a limb than a life.
On a lighter note, so far I have visited 48 different bases to offer religious services and the Catholic sacraments to the military and civilian support personnel. At one base, I had a chance to meet with a soldier whose parents I grew up with in Forest Hills. He looked like his father. On another day while standing on the flight line waiting for helicopter transport, I began to converse with the civilian next to me, only to discover that he too not only grew up in Forest Hills but also graduated from the same high school as I did ten years before me. As for the holidays, Valentine’s Day, locally, was understandably low key and with the absence of adult beverages and soda bread, the highlight for St. Patrick’s Day had to be corned beef and cabbage on the dinner menu.
Celebrating Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and Easter here was different than what I have been used to because each day was still a workday for just about everyone; and instead of being in the same church with the same congregation, I was flying to several different camps.
As for the 5 main rituals, I was pleased that: the palm branches I ordered from the States arrived in time, several soldiers volunteered to have their feet washed, some people stayed for Eucharistic adoration, I didn’t get too dirty prostrating on the tent floor, I was able to find the right note for the chants, I received into the Catholic faith and administered the sacrament of Confirmation to one soldier, I didn’t drop the cross nor spill the Holy Water, and I didn’t set fire to the chapel tents nor did I set off the smoke alarms with the incense.
The weather has certainly gotten warmer. The plus side of this is that: I do not have to carry all of the cold-weather clothing with me when going out on my rounds, people sit out at night talking and the port-a-johns are more bearable, thereby decreasing irregularity. On the minus side, to stay hydrated, everyone has to drink more water forcing them to frequent those port-a-johns and the insurgents have gotten more active, inaugurating the summer fighting season.
Thanks for your interest in my mission and ministry and to those of you who keep track of other such important things: I did not get to participate in the Great American Pillow Fight at any of the 115 locations around the world on April 7th, I was not able to compete in my family’s holiday gathering Easter Egg Hunt (thus enabling someone else to win) but I did reward myself over here by indulging in a chocolate Easter bunny.
Keep the faith and let us remember not just on Memorial Day but often, those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation and the cause of freedom.
CH Jim Krische
