Page 154 - JSOM Summer 2022

others. But culture is a mix of social influences, religious in- assessments. A radio call came through requesting John’s help
fluences, and environments. In most of the cultures we operate with a young female. A female patient in a Muslim country is
in, they have known war. War is a malevolent tragedy for all fraught with potential pit falls. If she is of childbearing age, it
of those in its path. All of that impacts our view of those that can create an uproar if the issue requires a thorough physical
inhabit the lands we enter. Nevertheless, it should not restrain exam. Not enjoying showing up to a scene blind, John inquired
our vision. as to the issue. The response surprised him. The interpreter told
them that the people in the village believed the girl to be pos-
When you can interject something that opposes malevolence – sessed by a demon. They were only about a mile away. After a
some sense of empathy and compassion – you catch the at- bumpy drive through the village, they parked behind the other
tention of the oppressed. When others believe you to be ma- team vehicle. In front of a small strip bark hut, there was a
levolent but then see that you are not, it is powerful. When small 1-foot-deep trench dug-out in a semicircle. Behind this
we enter foreign lands, we dress ominously with protective was a young girl tied around the waist to a stake in the ground.
equipment and intimidating firearms. Even our countenance is
generally one that does not speak compassion. But when that As he approached, his impression was that she was malnour-
compassion is drawn to bear it is a powerful force, perhaps ished. Red clay covered her bare feet and matted her hair. She
more powerful than the weaponry we yield. could not be older than 9 years. She wore oversized clothes
for her size. She was hunched down like a primate animal.
John played soccer in college. He was pretty good. After a Through the interpreter, he learned that when she was at a
couple of years in a disagreement with the coach he thought very young age her parents believed that she had been bit by
he may be stepping away from soccer permanently. Instead, he a demon and became possessed. John asked if they had taken
was recruited by the coach for the All-Armed Forces Soccer her to see a doctor. They had asked doctors that came to their
Team. Many of our operators are competitive by nature. He area to see her when she was very young. No one could help
was then drawn to medicine and began to pursue a military or explain what was wrong with her. No one had attempted
career in that field. Trained as an army medic and willing to to have her seen in years. They were convinced of the demonic
volunteer he quickly found work in multiple roles. He found possession and had given up trying to find other solutions.
his home in Special Operations. Perhaps it was the competi- They had even performed a procedure called the five points
tiveness, perhaps it was the opportunity. If you were willing of fire to try to burn the evil out of her. She had the scars to
and have a heart to work hard, Special Operations will take prove it. It did not work and her anger and rage worsened, and
advantage of that and put it to use. ultimately they staked her outside of the home.

As John began to approach and move around her it became
Ethiopia 2005
clear that she could track him but was not making eye con-
It was late February and the brown huts set against the red tact. Perhaps she was blind and could only make out light and
sand of Ethiopia made for a strikingly barren landscape. The shadows. As he came close, she came closer. When he neared
white Toyota land cruiser made for a smoother ride than the the dug-out semicircle, she reached out and tried to scratch
Humvee he had traveled so many miles in during his military him. Now he knew why the trench was there.
career but could only mildly soften the blows of the rough ter-
rain. The dust and dirt were like he imagined they were on the John stepped back and asked his teammate to go back to the
moon – almost like talcum powder. They would float in the air vehicle and retrieve three things: a pack of skittles, a can of
and were present in every breath. The vehicles only worsened Axe body spray, and a bottle of water. The deodorant was a
this. There were uneven roads, shallow wadis, and dilapidated necessity when you do not shower regularly but need not to
bridges, and broken cement and exposed rebar that required offend local leaders. When he returned he asked John what he
attention when crossing. There were crocodiles. He had al- was going to do. John said, “either something stupid or some-
ready killed one. He was on one of the bridges and watched a thing that might let me talk to her.” A crowd started to form.
crocodile coming up on a little girl. He took aim through the
advanced combat optical gunsight (ACOG) on his M4 and John sprayed himself down with the Axe body spray. He moved
killed it with one shot. closer and when she reached out to strike, John grabbed her
wrist and took her hand and placed the skittles in it. He rolled
February is the last dry month and gives way to the rainy sea- her hand up and then released her. She backed up quickly and
son. By late February the chances of rain improve but no rain then smelled the skittles in her hand and ate them. John ap-
was present on this day. The temperatures generally start off in proached again and repeated the process. He continued to re-
the low 50s and rise to the mid 70s by mid-day. There was no peat this and eventually moved inside of the circle. Each time
shade. It was intensely dry. The water was warm. she was less aggressive. Her teeth were chipped and cracked.
Her mouth was colored with the red clay. After a few more
He was five months into a 6-month long deployment. The en- iterations she approached close enough to touch him. He was
emy threat was present and real, and he and his team were kneeling on one knee, and she leaned on the other knee. This
appropriately ready. John was kitted up with a plate carrier, time he did not have to grab her hand. She inched even closer
ammunition, a 9 mm side arm in a drop leg holster on one to him. Finally on the next iteration her shoulder rested on his
leg and an individual first aid kit on the other leg. The very chest. After another handful of skittles, she placed her forearm
presence of the Americans was foreboding. They presented an on his chest and began exploring his face with her hands and
ominous force to be reckoned with. then without warning she embraced him and began crying.

The team was split into two groups that day. One met with the The cry of someone with a hearing deficit is unique. It devel-
key leaders of the village, while the other was working on site ops from not hearing others cry, or talk. Not being able to

150 | JSOM Volume 22, Edition 2 / Summer 2022