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Chris Plekenpol earned his mechanical engineering degree from West Point in 1999. His baptism the same year marked a drastic change in his perspective on the Army and life. After qualifying for Airborne, Jumpmaster, Air Assault, and Ranger, Chris deployed to Iraq in 2004 as a tank company commander. He lost six of his men while helping take Fallujah. Now returned to civilian life, Chris is studying to become a pastor.

In the Ramadi sector of Iraq we were patrolling, an insurgent had planted a makeshift bomb and then escaped. So I went outside to tell the gunner from my tank, who was filling in for SSG Burton, to let the tank and Bradley crews stand down.

"Sir," he shot back, frustrated, "where are my guys at?"

"What!?" I screamed, stunned by his disrespect. "Get up here, sergeant!" He did and stood at attention. "Don't you ever ask me where your men are! That's your responsibility. Do you understand me?" He tried to respond, but I cut him off. "This conversation is over!"

It was the first day that this sergeant—a good leader and amazing Christian—had controlled a Quick Reaction Force. So he was already stressed out. Another sergeant, I learned later, had taken the QRF tank crew to chow at the mess hall—a big no-no. So he'd taken my full wrath for something not his fault. Still, I'm the commander, I rationalized. A sergeant should know where his soldiers are. [continued 9/22]

Adapted from Faith in the Fog of War (Multnomah, 2006) by permission.

Copyright © 2008 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity.

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Prayer for the Week

I need Your courage, Lord, to bypass my pride, engage the one with whom I'm on the outs, probe for the root of our misunderstanding, and experience healing.

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