Within seconds our vehicles were rolling toward the gunfire. We had our weapons on red, locked, and loaded. We rolled into his location as the last burst of rounds filled the air. We secured the position and found our way to the commander to find out what had happened. What we saw broke our hearts.

The commander was leading a three-vehicle convoy. His vehicle passed a construction ditch in the road that was covered up with dirt. As the second Humvee passed over the ditch, it tripped an IED (improvised explosive device). The force of the explosion destroyed the vehicle and blew the leg off the young specialist who was driving.

A sergeant from the first vehicle managed to get to the wounded soldier, moving toward him under fire and applying first aid. As he placed a lifesaving tourniquet around the specialist’s severed leg, we arrived to secure the area. Medics quickly evacuated the young soldier to the hospital. I removed his foot with the boot still on it from the vehicle. It could only have been God’s protection no one died and only one was severely injured.

As we began our gruesome task of cleaning up, the sacrifices America asks of its young service members rose in our minds. No one said a word, and although I’m the chaplain and it’s up to me to offer lessons in times like these, all I could think of was "Duty— Honor—Country."

While some days are better than others and the news media sensationalizes the casualties, please remember there is an incredible amount of good being done for the Iraqi public. Good things largely being ignored by the media. About a week after we arrived back in Mosul the second time, we revisited the school. We were thrilled to watch the kids play a soccer game on the field we built. The teachers kept thanking and thanking us. The school is thriving and educating the future of Iraq.

Thanks so much for the packages and for the kind words. It is a great feeling to know you care about us and support us over here. Just want you to know God has protected many others and me over here. Please keep praying for our safety and protection. Our Battalion Commander has pointed out every day the numerous "close calls" many of our guys have had. This is not just luck, but truly a direct result of the protection from your prayers. We have had some guys wounded, but thankfully no one has been banged up too badly.

The other day one of our guys was shot in the head. Amazingly, the bullet went through his helmet, banged around inside above his head and finally came to a stop under his scalp. The doctor pulled the bullet out and gave him a couple stitches. I saw him the next day, and he had a bandage over the back of his head. He said other than a bad headache, he felt great. The next day he was back with his platoon.