THE CONFLICT OF PEACE KEEPING...
“The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value. I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto (all the way to his) death.” Thomas Paine (Parenthesis mine)
... Grand words after the victory and before the next battle... Grand words during a battle if you have time to think of anything other than the battle... These words are true and they work only of we put them to work ourselves. When you are fighting for your life the object is to survive and win.
I will never forget the words of my instructor, a grizzled old Sergeant, as he taught us survival tactics... "There is no such thing as a fair fight. Surviving and winning is the object. Use any tool/weapon at your disposal including biting and scratching. If you are so immobilized that all you can use are your teeth, aim for a tender part and tear or bite it off..."
You never know what is or will be the attitude of any person whom you meet while on duty. They could already be hyped up and prepared to do anything they can to stop or immobilize you so they might survive and go on with what they want to do.
Two law enforcement officers respond to a domestic call... They enter the apartment and are immediately attacked by a man swinging a burning towel. The lead officer, was burned on the head, the carpet was ignited filling the room with smoke...
The attacker managed to get the officer's gun and shoot the officer killing him, The 2nd officer engaged in a gun battle where numerous shots were fired. The attacker was killed. The 2nd officer was wounded in the wrist. Her comments reflect the attitude necessary for life and survival for all Peace Keepers... The surviving officer asked that her firearms instructors be thanked for her training. Another officer asked that we stress to our students to take their training seriously, as his had already saved his life at least twice in the last six months...
There is no way to know what you might be facing on the next stop... On the other side of a door... Around the next corner... Down the next alley... You may go a life time never firing a weapon in the course of duty... Or you may have to fire on the very first tour, on the very first assignment. Killing another human being under any circumstances can adversely affect any of us or all of us. Dealing with it, that dealing with the causing the death of another person, must be recognized as a vital necessity. All necessary assistance must be provided when hindering symptoms begin to show. The war to protect, keep and preserve peace is a vital activity in our world... We must do all we can to protect our selves and also do all we can to restore ourselves. We cannot afford to lose any of our Peace Keepers to the conflict brought on by causing the death of another human being when it was necessary for the Peace Keeper to take the action they took.
If an adversary resists the lawful activity of the Peace Keeper, the Peace Keeper is authorized and expected to exercise the amount of force that is necessary to stop the unlawful action and restore the peace and safety... If the life of the unlawful must be taken in the process, we must recognize that they had a choice to act lawfully... Or to act unlawfully. Their voluntary actions are what determines the final outcome.
During this economic downturn that we are currently experiencing, we must also recognize the implications of budgetary constraints causing layoffs, discharges and delays in recruiting/hiring. I personally know of people in Peace Keeping being told of layoffs, furloughs and other actions that cause reductions/removal of take home pay... And forecast less numbers of available Peace Keepers for the war against evil. We will have to do more with less whether we like it or not. Most of my law enforcement work was/is done alone. I know how it is to be undermanned and overloaded with demands.
In the course of all of what we face daily, we... and we alone... are responsible for our attitudes and demeanor. We have to do the learning and we have to train ourselves if no one else will train us. I know that because that was the process for me... I had to do the research and the application in my own life when there was no one else willing nor able to do any of it for me. I had to suffer burnouts to learn why it was necessary to be trained and to practice that training. I learned what works for me by learning what can be done and doing it myself. It worked so well for me that I was engaged to train others who were in the burnout process themselves. Just learning where they were and how to help themselves were a powerful turn around for some of my students.
I am thinking about the officer who survived the shootout above... She will need some help or she will have to help herself. I am thinking about an officer to whom I wrote last week who is considering quitting because he caused a death... I do not know what he is going to do because he did not respond to my message and he is many miles away. Traumatic incidents like being shot/injured in the line of duty and being the cause of the death of another human being in the line of duty very often cause great traumatic stress for the Peace Keeper. Being the backup for another Peace Keeper who is killed in the line of duty in spite of your best efforts very often causes great traumatic stress. I have personally made some of these trips myself and know what the aftermath can be.
I have witnessed too many instances of unsafe actions by Peace Keepers... Too many unsafe approaches... To many unsafe positions... Too much of not being alert and watchful... Too much of missing things they should have seen... Too much of things they should have done but did not do... Too much of wrong attitudes and assumptions like assuming no danger exists... Too much of assuming facts not in evidence... Too much of being overtired and not at optimum performance because of a lack of sleep, improper nourishment and a too tired body frazzled by too many hours of work over too long a period of time. Sometimes the duty is horribly demanding and the cost is high.
In the war between good and evil, we survive and fight on only if we are well trained and alert. If you personally do not know something to be true, don't assume that it is true. I remember a case of a domestic call I assisted... The officer approached the door, stood in front of it and knocked... A man answered. The complainant was a woman but no woman was at the door. The man gave a very plausible explanation. The officer I was with accepted the explanation and walked away... I asked the officer, "Where was the woman? I did not see one, did you?" He had not thought to inquire on this aspect...
He went back to the door. This time it was the man again but he opened the door wider and I could see in through the crack at the hinge side of the door and there she was in a heap cringing behind the door saying nothing and trembling. I pointed her out to the officer and he forced the door open and entered. She had been beaten but would not prefer charges. This was before the current laws on Domestic Violence so we had to leave her there because she did not want to leave, nor to make him leave, nor to charge her husband with assault... But at least we knew she was still alive, functioning well and able to make her own choices.
Hunting humans and dealing with their behaviors is a most intriguing activity. We must learn to use all of our senses and intelligence to be engaged in this activity, do well and survive. My thousands of hours of training are rumbling through my thoughts like trains on a track as I write today. I am remembering training scenarios and duty incidents. I marvel at how well we do most days... And I am so thankful that more of us are not killed or injured. I believe we are under Grace until we have time to learn to do it the most effective way. Then, I believe we are under Grace because we do not always remember to do it the most effective way. I had enough close calls of my own while learning so I know what can happen and what sometimes does happen.
I know that sometimes we are just in the wrong place and for just a moment a smart adversary could take advantage of us... But they often miss it... Let us learn not to give them the opportunities to take advantage of us.
Report: Air support slow in Beach Marine's fatal firefight,
The Virginian-Pilot © September 12, 2009, By Jaedda Armstrong
Soldiers in the war of good against evil do not always receive what they need when they need it. Four US troops, one of which was a local Marine, killed in eastern Afghanistan, possibly because air support was too slow in coming after making repeated calls for artillery and air support.
Peace Keepers on the field any place in this world can, and often do, have similar problems... The first into the fight are sometimes overcome because they did not have enough firepower/manpower or did not have a good position, cover and protection. It has happened often in many places in the world and here at home as well.
Such is the demand upon Peace Keepers. When others may choose not to go, Peace Keepers have to go. When others run away from the sound of the guns, Peace Keepers run to the sound of the guns. When others do all they can to avoid conflict, Peace Keepers are sworn to do all they can possibly do to quell the disturbance and restore the peace. Numerous times this week I have contemplated the fates of Peace Keepers in numerous places and numerous times in our world. Sometimes I am overcome with emotion with the details that I know. I am so thankful for every Peace Keeper wherever you happen to be. I cannot fathom living in this world without you.
Some Peace Keepers came to rescue and assist me... I have experienced time standing still until they arrived... I was sent to assist and rescue some Peace Keepers. Many of us have shared a field of battle and conflict.
Many of us still share the conflict, but now it is a conflict that rises up within us as we remember the fields and conflicts of a while ago, yesterday, last month, last year or even years ago... The conflicts arise in some of us even as we remember conflicts that far preceded our time, battles fought by our ancestors and those that preceded us as they won our Liberty, our Peace and our Freedom. These commodities come at a high cost and they are maintained at a high cost as commented by Thomas Paine in the introductory remarks of this message.
Thank you... All of you... For every action taken on behalf of the Constitution and the Citizens of these United States of America... For every battle engaged... For every law enforced... For every action taken... For the Oath you have sworn. I take great pride in my ancestry and the place of my birth... But first and foremost, my earthly citizenship is American. I come from a long line of ancient warriors to be part of the Warrior/Peace Keeper Brotherhood of today... and I deeply rejoice to have the privilege of being among such a fine fellowship.
"BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!" ALWAYS be alert, watchful, suspicious and wary. Take the very best care of you as you care for and about others. See to the strength and well being of your spirit as well as all the rest of you. Your spirit must be strong for you to be successful.
Call or write if I may be of any service... Or if you just want to encourage me... Feedback encourages all who write... It helps to know we are reaching someone who reads the message.
My daughter, Donna, is doing well with the wound for now. Some areas of it are very painful. She is now experiencing much swelling in both feet and both legs and it is very painful to walk. Thank you for all of the prayers and all the concern you have expressed on her part.
As it has always been... So it still is!!!
"VICTORIOUS WARRIORS WIN FIRST...
AND THEN GO TO WAR,
WHILE DEFEATED WARRIORS GO TO WAR FIRST...
AND THEN SEEK TO WIN." Sun tzu
Training and practice are everything!
Without them, the best results are not obtained!
ONLY LIVE PEACE KEEPERS SEE THE VICTORY!!!
THEY SEE IT ONLY BECAUSE OTHERS HAVE MADE THEIR ETERNAL
PAYMENTS OF SWEAT, BLOOD, TEARS AND LIFE FOR THAT VICTORY!
WITH THE DEEPEST OF APPRECIATION AND RESPECT...
BE BLESSED (A CONDITION TO BE ENVIED)...
BE SUCCESSFUL... BE SAFE...
[My injunction to be safe means doing all you know to do as you do your job... it means
doing the best you can with what you have where you are using all your faculties to get
the job done well and with good results conquering evil and keeping or restoring peace...
it does not mean to avoid duty and honor... it does not mean to cower or allow anything
to hinder you in the process of duty according to rules, law and ethics... it means that if
the demand takes your earthly life you destroy as much evil as possible in the process.
That is my definition of being safe... doing the best you can and leaving the rest to God
or whomever else is responsible... being best employed for the sake and protection of all
the things and people that we hold dear.]
I represent, write for... and give the credit to:
God the Father (my Commander-in-Chief),
Jesus Christ the Son (the Eternal Captain of my life) and
the Holy Spirit of God (my Eternal Teacher, Keeper and Guide).
In Christ I live... with Him and for you I serve...
And I rejoice that you are there whether you are Christian or not...
For God, Country and the Peace Keeper...
D. R. (Don) Staton, Chaplain to Peace Keepers,
Surviving Peace Keeper,
Virginia State Police Alumni,
RETIRED Police Officer Virginia Beach Police Dept.,
Senior Chaplain and Administrative Chaplain VBPD,
DCJS Certified Police Instructor,
Community Service Officer (Traffic Safety) VBPD
Blackwater Alumni
757-431-2190, chpln1@verizon.net
3709 Beacon Lane, Virginia Beach, VA 23452
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