| SPECIAL FORCES ASSOCIATION CHAPTER LXIX NEWSLETTER JUNE AND JULY 2007 BERNIE FISHER CHAPTER THE NEXT MEETING IS ON SEPTEMBER 4th AT NOODLES AT 1900 HOURS. |
President: Jack Frost 208-454-8361
Vice President: Bob Shuster 541-372-5222
Treasurer: Bob Robertson 208-459-4798
Chaplain: 208-482-7495
Editor: ted@SFA-ChapterLXIX.com
Vice President: Bob Shuster 541-372-5222
Treasurer: Bob Robertson 208-459-4798
Chaplain: 208-482-7495
Editor: ted@SFA-ChapterLXIX.com
A good meeting was conducted on the 5th, although the attendance was down. Mike Edwards finally made the
meeting to many errands, and problems with TSA at the airport, trying to get his Brother on the plane, the
problem is you can't say much to these people seems they have no sense of humor. I will keep my fingers crossed
and tape on my mouth when I get on the plane for convention at the end of the month, more to follow next month if
Vaughn and myself survive while wearing our Fiesta Bowl shirts
For those that did not make the meeting our next meeting will be on the 4th of Sept, so put that on your frigid. We
will be holding a picnic at Mike Edwards place on the 28th of July a Saturday at 1300hrs. His place is located on
Old Emmet Road of highway 44 [State Street] about 2 miles past Middleton going East on the right, it later turns
into Little Freeze out Road as it passes into Gem County Mikes place is just down the road on the left by a big red
barn, there will be something up to help you identify the place, also Ted will include a map. This will be catered by
the Chapter so mark your Calendar and lets have a good turn out, with the wives and who ever. There will be no
meeting in August so lets give this priority as we only have two turn outs a year, this and Christmas. Mike says he
has Thai beer so if you want something else BYOB. Any question just call.
Remember the next official meeting will be Sept. 4th 1900hrs Noodles, bring a new member.
Jack
meeting to many errands, and problems with TSA at the airport, trying to get his Brother on the plane, the
problem is you can't say much to these people seems they have no sense of humor. I will keep my fingers crossed
and tape on my mouth when I get on the plane for convention at the end of the month, more to follow next month if
Vaughn and myself survive while wearing our Fiesta Bowl shirts
For those that did not make the meeting our next meeting will be on the 4th of Sept, so put that on your frigid. We
will be holding a picnic at Mike Edwards place on the 28th of July a Saturday at 1300hrs. His place is located on
Old Emmet Road of highway 44 [State Street] about 2 miles past Middleton going East on the right, it later turns
into Little Freeze out Road as it passes into Gem County Mikes place is just down the road on the left by a big red
barn, there will be something up to help you identify the place, also Ted will include a map. This will be catered by
the Chapter so mark your Calendar and lets have a good turn out, with the wives and who ever. There will be no
meeting in August so lets give this priority as we only have two turn outs a year, this and Christmas. Mike says he
has Thai beer so if you want something else BYOB. Any question just call.
Remember the next official meeting will be Sept. 4th 1900hrs Noodles, bring a new member.
Jack
| WORDS FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHAPTER |
| THE CHAPLAIN’S CORNER |
HARD CHOICES
A recent episode of “The Unit” (a fictional show based on “Delta” or “the D Boys”) dealt with a quick decision to kill
or let live an Iranian shepherd boy who would compromise their mission. They killed him.
The same choice was faced by an A-Team in the startup of Desert Storm. They let the individual go, were
compromised, and put their lives and those that came to rescue them in jeopardy.
Mark Luttrel, the sole survivor of a failed Seal Team mission in Afghanistan, just came out with a new book (two
days after leaving the Navy) called “Sole Survivor”. He recounts how his four man team was compromised by two
Afghan goat herders and the struggle they went through trying to decide whether to kill them or not. Had they
been Speteznaz there would have been no hesitation, but like the A-Team in Desert Storm their moral values
coming out of our Judeo-Christian ethics made the choice difficult. Because they chose to let them live three
Seals and 16 rescuers paid with their lives.
David, later king of Israel faced a similar choice while on the run from King Saul. He let Doeg live and as a result
the High Priest Ahimelech and 85members of his family died.
Peter, in the courtyard of the High Priest’s father-in-law, Annas, had some hard choices. Before the cock crowed
that early morning he had denied Jesus Christ three times rather than acknowledge that he was a follower of
Jesus.
The Apostle Paul also faced hard choices. Rather than deny Jesus though he chose jail, beatings, stoning, and
ultimately death before denial.
Often the “hard choice” for us in the army and especially Special Forces is whether to take the narrow road to life
or the wide road to death and destruction – the death of our morals, or marriage, our relationship with God. We
buy into the life style of “eat, drink, and make merry for tomorrow we die”. The reality is that had we chosen to
follow Jesus and His “guidelines for living” our marriage would have been different, our kids might have been
different, and we wouldn’t be struggling with the stranglehold of booze and the consequences of lack of
moderation in all things.
I realize that it’s not real popular to call yourself a Christian or to follow Jesus Christ in your life style, but next time
you’re at a gathering of Special Forces soldiers look at what they’ve done with their lives and their bodies. They’
ve made some “hard choices”. Look at them and try to visualize what they once looked like when they were
running missions and what they are today.
Try to imagine what they would look like and how different their lives would be had they made different choices –
not like Peter on that fateful night but like Paul in the days and years after his face to face encounter with Jesus
on the road to Damascus.
To follow Jesus may be difficult, but haven’t all of us green beanies chosen the difficult over the easy knowing it’s
the best and most satisfying choice!
Chaplain Vahan Sipantzi
26972 Lower Pleasant Ridge Rd.
Wilder, ID 83676
(208) 482-7495
A recent episode of “The Unit” (a fictional show based on “Delta” or “the D Boys”) dealt with a quick decision to kill
or let live an Iranian shepherd boy who would compromise their mission. They killed him.
The same choice was faced by an A-Team in the startup of Desert Storm. They let the individual go, were
compromised, and put their lives and those that came to rescue them in jeopardy.
Mark Luttrel, the sole survivor of a failed Seal Team mission in Afghanistan, just came out with a new book (two
days after leaving the Navy) called “Sole Survivor”. He recounts how his four man team was compromised by two
Afghan goat herders and the struggle they went through trying to decide whether to kill them or not. Had they
been Speteznaz there would have been no hesitation, but like the A-Team in Desert Storm their moral values
coming out of our Judeo-Christian ethics made the choice difficult. Because they chose to let them live three
Seals and 16 rescuers paid with their lives.
David, later king of Israel faced a similar choice while on the run from King Saul. He let Doeg live and as a result
the High Priest Ahimelech and 85members of his family died.
Peter, in the courtyard of the High Priest’s father-in-law, Annas, had some hard choices. Before the cock crowed
that early morning he had denied Jesus Christ three times rather than acknowledge that he was a follower of
Jesus.
The Apostle Paul also faced hard choices. Rather than deny Jesus though he chose jail, beatings, stoning, and
ultimately death before denial.
Often the “hard choice” for us in the army and especially Special Forces is whether to take the narrow road to life
or the wide road to death and destruction – the death of our morals, or marriage, our relationship with God. We
buy into the life style of “eat, drink, and make merry for tomorrow we die”. The reality is that had we chosen to
follow Jesus and His “guidelines for living” our marriage would have been different, our kids might have been
different, and we wouldn’t be struggling with the stranglehold of booze and the consequences of lack of
moderation in all things.
I realize that it’s not real popular to call yourself a Christian or to follow Jesus Christ in your life style, but next time
you’re at a gathering of Special Forces soldiers look at what they’ve done with their lives and their bodies. They’
ve made some “hard choices”. Look at them and try to visualize what they once looked like when they were
running missions and what they are today.
Try to imagine what they would look like and how different their lives would be had they made different choices –
not like Peter on that fateful night but like Paul in the days and years after his face to face encounter with Jesus
on the road to Damascus.
To follow Jesus may be difficult, but haven’t all of us green beanies chosen the difficult over the easy knowing it’s
the best and most satisfying choice!
Chaplain Vahan Sipantzi
26972 Lower Pleasant Ridge Rd.
Wilder, ID 83676
(208) 482-7495
From The Editor
As you can see I have gone to a web page format. This will make it easier for me to pass on information to all of
you. The reason is that some of you have dial up and some of you have smaller e-mail size restrictions. This was
the best way that I could think of to help with this. We can also give you an e-mail "your
name@SFA-ChapterLXIX.com" or a web page off of the front page with a link.
Ted
you. The reason is that some of you have dial up and some of you have smaller e-mail size restrictions. This was
the best way that I could think of to help with this. We can also give you an e-mail "your
name@SFA-ChapterLXIX.com" or a web page off of the front page with a link.
Ted
N 43° 49.189'
W 116° 38.328'
W 116° 38.328'
You can zoom in and out on the right. If you click on the arrows on the side of
the map you will move in that direction. And if you put in your address on the
upper left, "TO HERE", it will give you turn by turn on how to get there. If you
hit the "Show with Turn-by-Turn Directions" right under the map it will give
you maps of every turn that even the Second Lieutenant can't mess up.
the map you will move in that direction. And if you put in your address on the
upper left, "TO HERE", it will give you turn by turn on how to get there. If you
hit the "Show with Turn-by-Turn Directions" right under the map it will give
you maps of every turn that even the Second Lieutenant can't mess up.
For the GPS types.
6055 Little Freezer
Caldwell Idaho
Caldwell Idaho
Interactive Map