INTRODUCTION

MAN THIS WAS GETTING CRAZY. Todd Blackburn just fell out of the

helicopter during insertion and somebody got shot while trying to

help him. But none of us knew for sure because Chalk 4 wasn’t where

they were supposed to be. They roped-in a block too soon.

It was getting chaotic. People were shooting at us. Somalis were

showing up everywhere, running back and forth across the streets

like those little moving targets at the shooting arcade in Frontierland

at Disney. Should we fire at them? Some had weapons. Some did not.

It was hard to tell. But somebody had to be shooting at us from the

corners of those buildings because a lot of Rangers were firing back in

all directions, and rules of engagement say we don’t fire unless there’s

someone firing at us.

Even the helicopters overhead were engaged. The bone-rattling

roar of their mini-guns sounded like slow-motion lightning ripping

the sky apart. There’s a terrible sense of urgency forced through your

nerves when those fully automatic Gatling guns let loose at a total

annihilation rate of 10,000 rounds per minute.

2 􀀫 GET IT ON!

Who are they firing at? Are there really that many bad guys out

there? Man, what’s happening? Thirty minutes ago I was in shorts

and flip-flops writing a letter home to my mom. I think they call this

being in combat. What was that? I think I just got hit. So this is what

it feels like.

I was kneeling against the wall of the target building, which is

exactly where they tell you NOT to kneel because bullets follow

walls. How would someone know this? Who tested that theory? Must

have been someone just like me who leaned against a wall and then

got hit by a wall-following bullet. But it’s an instinctive thing to run

for cover. So when there really isn’t any cover out in a street, you run

for a wall. You lean against it because it just feels more secure, right

up until some Somali from two hundred yards down the road fires

a burst from his AK-47 in your general direction and the trajectory

path of those rounds begin hurtling toward you at 715 meters per

sec. Good news is, the person who pulled the trigger was not very

disciplined, so the bullets are off target and are going to miss their

mark, me, and instead slam into the wall about five feet in front of

me. Bad news is, the rounds continue their forward velocity, skipping

off the wall and impacting center mass at original said target: me.

Lucky shot.

On the receiving end it’s hard to believe a tiny little thing like a

bullet could hit you with so much force. If you’ve ever had Derek Jeter

swing a baseball bat into your midsection and knock you backwards

on your butt, then you know exactly what it’s like to get struck by a

couple of wall-skipping 7.62 rounds. If you haven’t had Derek Jeter do

that to you, then take my word for it, bullets pack a punch. One hit me

solidly in the ammo pouch and was stopped by one of the ammunition

magazines, which is only about an inch wide. I fell back on my

butt and thought I was going to explode. Literally.

INTRODUCT ION 􀀫 3

The rounds in my magazine were smoking from the impact. In

my confusion, I’m thinking they might start cooking off or something.

So I started yanking the ammunition out of my pouch like hot

potatoes. Apparently, the sight must have been funny to see, because

my buddy Randy Romaglia was across the street laughing at me.

Another round went through the ammo pouch, destroyed a magazine,

and exited out the back bouncing off my Kevlar plate. “Thank

God for body armor.”

It would take me many battles and many years to understand the

full meaning of those words. In the big scheme of that particular day in

history, me getting hit by two poorly aimed and richocheting 7.62mm

rounds was just a small inconsequential moment, one I don’t even

bother to talk about when I tell the story of that day. One man being

“almost hurt” is rather unmentionable given 78 others were wounded

and 19 killed. But as I have grown in my faith through the years, I have

come to realize it was not the body armor that saved me. It was God’s

armor and the extraordinary men He placed on my left and right. He

had a job for me to do later down the line and wanted me to make it out.

“The LORD your God is in your midst, a victorious

warrior.” (Zephaniah 3:17 NASB)

The physical wounds of a combat veteran will heal in time. But

there are some scars that never go away. When you walk away from

something others did not, you will spend the rest of your life thanking

those people who were on your left and on your right that day.

Because I know the only reason I am still here today is by the grace of

God and the efforts of those men. I will honor them both by proudly

telling our story to all who will listen.

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You will also find yourself forever struggling and haunted by an

odd sense of guilt. Why me, God? Why did You let me live when others,

did not? Men who had families. Men who were three times the

soldier I was. People who deserved to live. So why me?

You can let the guilt do one of two things. It can bury you in anger

and pity. Or you can use it to motivate you to live up to everything

you’re worth. Knowing your worth and realizing just how important

you are to the big picture is a challenge and something I struggle with

even today.

Most of us want to make a difference in this world. We want

to know at the end of the day that we matter, that we counted for

something. Those who wear the uniform of the U.S. military need

not worry about that. But for the rest of us out here in the real world

we wonder, “How do I make a difference?” “What can I do that really

matters?” “How will I be remembered?”

My friends, these are easy questions to answer if all you do is lead

and lead by example. Because when you set an example for others to

follow, those around you take notice. I promise you they do. Whether

they tell you or not, they are watching. You lead, they will follow, and

the team around you becomes stronger. Thus, you have made a difference

and you have changed a life.

The Army manual on Military Leadership FM-22-100 has a

simple definition for leadership: Leadership is the Process of influencing

others to accomplish the mission by providing purpose, direction, and

motivation. It is a simple explanation, but exactly how you go about

providing the purpose, direction, and motivation necessary to influence

others is a topic that can fill thousands of books and millions of

pages. I’m certainly not here to write another lesson on how to be a

better leader. I just want you to be one.

INTRODUCT ION 􀀫 5

I realize most of us do not actually hold a position of leadership.

Notice at no point does the definition of leadership say anything

about, rank, seniority, status, tenure, hierarchy, pay-grade, pecking

order, totem poles, or ducks in a row. Remember it’s never the title or

the position that defines a great leader. It is the example you set. The

Wizard of Oz didn’t give anything to the lion he didn’t already have.

The people who fill the pages of this book are not the generals,

colonels, or captains. They are the brand new sergeants like Randy

Ramaglia who took over for his squad when his squad leader went

down. They are the young privates like David Floyd. He was in

charge of no one but himself, but the example he set was exceptional.

He saved my life and those around him.

When Paul the apostle sat alone for years in a Roman cell, he

had some time on his hands. Instead of feeling sorry for himself,

he used that time to do some good. He wrote a whole bunch of letters

to folks who needed guidance on how to move forward with this new

thing called Christianity. In the most famous part of his letter to the

Ephesians, he advises them to suit up for battle. “Put on all of God’s

armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of

the devil [or enemy]” (Eph. 6:11 !"#).

To help illustrate the reality of spiritual warfare, Paul used the

modern-day battlefield of the Roman Empire to make his point.

As will I. Because whether we are talking about the conquest of

Germania, the Russian front, the beaches of Normandy, the mountains

of Korea, the jungles of Vietnam, the streets of Mogadishu,

Bagdad, or Kabul, the stories told by those who were there carry

a common theme. Somebody, somewhere, at some terribly urgent

moment and against all odds, did something extraordinary to lead

the way. They set an example for others to follow. Be that person.

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I can’t tell you where. I can’t tell you when. But I can tell you

with absolute certainty the call will come for you to get it on! And

just like that, the course of your life will change forever. Will you be

prepared? Will you have what it takes to “readily display the intestinal

fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission,

though I be the lone survivor?” Of course you will. Why? Because

you are a “specially selected and well-trained soldier” with a promise to

keep!“never shall I fail my comrades.”

You understand what it means to be counted on and are willing

to carry the burden of leadership that can be a heavy load to bear at

times. That’s why so many shy away from the responsibility. They

don’t want to do the hard work of leadership. Being counted on

means you might fail, so it’s much easier not to try. But you are not

that person. You have purpose. You have direction. And you are motivated

to “Lead the way, all the way.”

This is the story of extraordinary people just like you who did

just that.

The men of Chalk 3 and the crew of the Gunslinger call sign Super 66!

Top: Mike Kurth, Sean Watson, Stan Wood, Gary Fuller, Richard Strous, Eric

Suranski, Keni Thomas, George Siegler Bottom: David Floyd, Ned “No Fear”

Norton, Jeffrey Hulst, Scott Hargis, John Collette, Melvin DeJesus