I was touched deeply by a piece I read recently that was shared by a friend on Facebook about a fallen soldier who was escorted by his family and another soldier on his final journey home.  The family was honored by the flight staff and all the people on board the plane that carried the remains of their soldier.  This young man had made the ultimate sacrifice of his life to protect you and me. The story felt very personal  after being at Ft. Benning last week for Garrett’s graduation from basic training.  During all the ceremonies involved, I was struck by how much emphasis is placed on the higher calling embraced by the military. Garrett’s girlfriend, Lily, even asked me at one point whether the Army was a Christian organization.  I don’t think they could officially claim this.  It would not be “politically correct” to do so.  But it is obvious that those who make the decisions are spiritual people.  They are not afraid to call upon God openly at all their ceremonies.  I noticed that they were careful not to name Jesus.  They used a generic “God” term but the tone was definitely Christian.  Prior to this experience, I hadn’t really contemplated the very spiritual nature of military service.

Before Garrett made his decision to join the National Guard, he and I discussed why he felt called to do this.  He hopes while in the military to learn to fly helicopters since flying is a love of his life.  However his reasons for serving in the military are much deeper than that.  He truly wants to make a difference.  Protecting Americans and our freedom is not just a job, it’s a calling, a duty most of us don’t comprehend unless you are a soldier yourself.

I can relate somewhat, since medicine has a calling and a need for self-sacrifice as does the military.  Certain professions fill needs demanded by society and are more a calling than simply a job. As stated by Andrew Abbott in The System of Professions,” The sick want a cure, the sinner wants absolution, the accused wants exoneration, and the defenseless seek security.” When we had time to talk this last week, Garrett and I discussed the commonality of servanthood as an integral part of careers in Medicine, Pastoral Care, Law and the Military. For doctors, med school is like basic training in many ways.  Med students back in my day were called “Scut Dogs” and we were given the patient care jobs nobody wanted.  I spent 3 months at the VA in Indianapolis doing everything from starting IV’s, placing catheters, disimpacting patients and even transporting them to radiology.  I stayed overnight “on call” every 3rd night while I was in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy with my oldest child, Anna.  It was tough and I complained a lot to my family.  But my team took great care of our patients and they loved us for it.  Vets are a great group of patients.  They appreciate everything you do.  We came to love them too.  We all cried when one of our patients died of heart failure after a viral cardiomyopathy destroyed his heart.  He was only in his 30’s.  He needed a heart transplant but we were told then that the VA didn’t put patients on the transplant list.  That was 30 years ago.  I hope that policy has changed since then.  We were heart-broken ourselves when despite all our supportive efforts, his heart gave out one night on our call.  We felt powerless to help him but  in a real sense we did help him by truly caring.

I look back at this time of trial as a 3rd year med student as a period that strengthened me mentally and physically like a soldier.  I learned more in places like the VA than anywhere else.  I understand the sacrifice of time and energy that soldiers make.  But I’ve never been asked to put my life on the line for another. This is a dimension beyond what most of us are asked to do.  I could palpably feel this deep commitment by the soldiers during their graduation last week. They are there to protect us and give their lives doing it if they have to.  It’s a calling and a duty that is very spiritual and deep within every soldier or they wouldn’t be there.  I think the Soldier’s Creed says it all.

I Am an American Soldier

I am a Warrior and a member of a team.  I serve the people of

the United States and live the Army Values.

I will always place the mission first.

I will never accept defeat.

I will never quit.

I will never leave a fallen comrade.

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough,

trained and proficient in my warrior

tasks and drills.  I always maintain my arms,

my equipment, and myself.

I am an expert and I am a professional.

I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy

the enemies of the United States of America in

close combat.

I am a guardian of freedom and the American

way of life.

I am an American Soldier.