From The Editor
I have a new e-mail address.
Ted_Hyde@Fiberpipe.net
Any e-mails sent to any other address will not get to me.
Here is a good web site to go check out all those e-mail about all kinds of things like stuff on politicians.
http://www.snopes.com/
SO go here before you send an other e-mail saying Obama eats kids and kicks puppies for example.
Ted_Hyde@Fiberpipe.net
Any e-mails sent to any other address will not get to me.
Here is a good web site to go check out all those e-mail about all kinds of things like stuff on politicians.
http://www.snopes.com/
SO go here before you send an other e-mail saying Obama eats kids and kicks puppies for example.
| SPECIAL FORCES ASSOCIATION CHAPTER LXIX NEWSLETTER APRIL 2008 BERNIE FISHER CHAPTER THE NEXT MEETING IS ON MAY 6TH AT NOODLES AT 1700 hrs. |
President: Jack Frost 208-454-8361
Vice President: Bob Shuster 541-372-5222
Treasurer: Bob Robertson 208-459-4798
Chaplain: Vahan Sipantzi 208-482-7495
Editor: ted@SFA-ChapterLXIX.com
Vice President: Bob Shuster 541-372-5222
Treasurer: Bob Robertson 208-459-4798
Chaplain: Vahan Sipantzi 208-482-7495
Editor: ted@SFA-ChapterLXIX.com
| WORDS FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHAPTER |
The next meeting will be on May 6th at Noodles at1900 hrs, let’s have everyone attend including the sick, lame
and lazy. We will be discussing the election of SFA officers and what is happening with the revision of the
constitution, which may or may not affect the chapter. AT this time several things could affect the chapter being in
SFA, including finances and membership.
A tip of the Beret to those that took the time to show up at last month’s meeting, I appreciate those that make
every meeting, these members make time to spend a couple hours with their fellow SF's once a month, by putting
everything else aside. We discussed our environment in activities outside the chapter and decided that we will not
participate anymore, however we will have a barbecue this summer at the team house, provided Mikes health is
holding up, we will discuss the date at the meeting also. There other things that you the members may want to bring
up. Bob and Mike finally got their Life cards two years late and Glumac has paid for two years so he received a two
year membership as SFA is having trouble keeping tract, what else is new. Remember the meeting on the 6th of
May.
Jack
Here is a link to an e-mail that Jack got about SFA a must read.
SPECIAL ATTENTION TO ALL ONLINE MEMBERS
and lazy. We will be discussing the election of SFA officers and what is happening with the revision of the
constitution, which may or may not affect the chapter. AT this time several things could affect the chapter being in
SFA, including finances and membership.
A tip of the Beret to those that took the time to show up at last month’s meeting, I appreciate those that make
every meeting, these members make time to spend a couple hours with their fellow SF's once a month, by putting
everything else aside. We discussed our environment in activities outside the chapter and decided that we will not
participate anymore, however we will have a barbecue this summer at the team house, provided Mikes health is
holding up, we will discuss the date at the meeting also. There other things that you the members may want to bring
up. Bob and Mike finally got their Life cards two years late and Glumac has paid for two years so he received a two
year membership as SFA is having trouble keeping tract, what else is new. Remember the meeting on the 6th of
May.
Jack
Here is a link to an e-mail that Jack got about SFA a must read.
SPECIAL ATTENTION TO ALL ONLINE MEMBERS
| WORDS FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHAPTER |
| THE CHAPLAIN’S CORNER |
FINISHING WELL
or
(Leaning on the Tape)
I can still see it in my mind’s eye. My top cross country runner, undefeated all season, beaten in the district
finals by a competitor he had beaten earlier who, unknowingly, came from behind and leaned past him into the tape
to literally beat him by inches. My runner had run well but finished poorly. Like most runners, he ran well but
focused on the finish line instead of beyond the line so eased up before the end of the run rather than hitting the
finish line at full speed. Many of us are living our lives in the same way- running much of life well but finishing
poorly. Go to any Special Forces gathering or S.F. Convention and you would never guess that these soldiers were
once running missions deep behind enemy lines or maxing the P.T. test, or sneaking and peeking in places like
Afghanistan, the Philippines, Iraq, or the jungles of Central and South America.
Some time ago I heard from one of my old NCO’s about the death or a teammate. He had been a terrific SF
soldier but died estranged from his family, an alcoholic. He ran well but finished poorly. We could say the same
thing about General George Custer. He had a terrific run during the Civil War but finished poorly at great cost to
himself and the soldiers he commanded in battle.
Looking at the Scriptures we see good and bad examples. Moses ran well but inconsistently. He led the
Israelites out of bondage to the Promised Land but, because of disobedience, didn’t make it in himself. The prophet
Samuel did a good job of judging Israel, but spent so much time on the job that he neglected his family, especially
his sons who turned out bad. Too many TDY”s and deployments without balancing his job and family. Good run –
bad finish.
On the other hand, we see the thief on the cross dying alongside Jesus. He ran his life poorly but finished well
as he heard the words of Jesus, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” The other thief, unrepentant to the end,
lived poorly, died poorly, and is left with an eternity separated from the Living God. We also see the Apostle Peter,
faithful to the end after a few bad starts, crucified upside down - unwilling to the end to deny his faith.
From a Special Forces perspective you are judged good or bad, successful or a failure by whether or not you
complete your mission. You can go though “Isolation”, do a great brief back, infiltrate into the AO undetected in the
dead of night after a gut wrenching rock and roll nap of the earth flight, and reach your target undetected but if you
don’t knock it out, or snatch your prisoner, or gather the Intel you were inserted for – your mission was a failure.
Jesus Christ not only ran well, but He finished well and someday He’s coming back for those who’ve enlisted
into His ranks. I pray that each of you, regardless of how you’ve lived your lives in the past, will join up and at least
finish well. Since all of life, like any race, has a beginning and an ending, the question remains: “How will you finish
the race – leaning into the tape, a winner, or a loser who took his eyes off the point beyond the finish line?”
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Chaplain Col. Vahan Sipantzi
26972 Lower Pleasant Ridge Rd.
Wilder, ID 83676
(208) 482-7495
or
(Leaning on the Tape)
I can still see it in my mind’s eye. My top cross country runner, undefeated all season, beaten in the district
finals by a competitor he had beaten earlier who, unknowingly, came from behind and leaned past him into the tape
to literally beat him by inches. My runner had run well but finished poorly. Like most runners, he ran well but
focused on the finish line instead of beyond the line so eased up before the end of the run rather than hitting the
finish line at full speed. Many of us are living our lives in the same way- running much of life well but finishing
poorly. Go to any Special Forces gathering or S.F. Convention and you would never guess that these soldiers were
once running missions deep behind enemy lines or maxing the P.T. test, or sneaking and peeking in places like
Afghanistan, the Philippines, Iraq, or the jungles of Central and South America.
Some time ago I heard from one of my old NCO’s about the death or a teammate. He had been a terrific SF
soldier but died estranged from his family, an alcoholic. He ran well but finished poorly. We could say the same
thing about General George Custer. He had a terrific run during the Civil War but finished poorly at great cost to
himself and the soldiers he commanded in battle.
Looking at the Scriptures we see good and bad examples. Moses ran well but inconsistently. He led the
Israelites out of bondage to the Promised Land but, because of disobedience, didn’t make it in himself. The prophet
Samuel did a good job of judging Israel, but spent so much time on the job that he neglected his family, especially
his sons who turned out bad. Too many TDY”s and deployments without balancing his job and family. Good run –
bad finish.
On the other hand, we see the thief on the cross dying alongside Jesus. He ran his life poorly but finished well
as he heard the words of Jesus, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” The other thief, unrepentant to the end,
lived poorly, died poorly, and is left with an eternity separated from the Living God. We also see the Apostle Peter,
faithful to the end after a few bad starts, crucified upside down - unwilling to the end to deny his faith.
From a Special Forces perspective you are judged good or bad, successful or a failure by whether or not you
complete your mission. You can go though “Isolation”, do a great brief back, infiltrate into the AO undetected in the
dead of night after a gut wrenching rock and roll nap of the earth flight, and reach your target undetected but if you
don’t knock it out, or snatch your prisoner, or gather the Intel you were inserted for – your mission was a failure.
Jesus Christ not only ran well, but He finished well and someday He’s coming back for those who’ve enlisted
into His ranks. I pray that each of you, regardless of how you’ve lived your lives in the past, will join up and at least
finish well. Since all of life, like any race, has a beginning and an ending, the question remains: “How will you finish
the race – leaning into the tape, a winner, or a loser who took his eyes off the point beyond the finish line?”
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Chaplain Col. Vahan Sipantzi
26972 Lower Pleasant Ridge Rd.
Wilder, ID 83676
(208) 482-7495
| WORDS FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHAPTER |