Fear

No false bravado; I did not experience fear from the moment we received word of the invasion of Kuwait until the end of combat in Iraq.

Why? I’ve always been a person of faith. I told God that if I made it back alive, I’d live each day as borrowed time. Whatever happened was not in my hands or under my control.

I was utterly tired of living in the harsh desert environment. As much support as we had, nothing could overcome the endless sand, clay, rocks and lack of vegetation. It was sensory deprivation.

When the war started, all I wanted was to perform and successfully complete the mission. The end was in sight and one way or another I was closer to going home.

I had no lack of confidence in my crew. We fought for our country, freedom but most of all, we fought for each other.

As or XO - then Major Joe Barto - wrote in the publication, Task Force 2-4 CAV - “First In, Last Out” we were too tired and too busy to fear. We knew our enemy. We knew our strength.