Military

General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of Joint Special Operations Command, was given a monumental task by President George W. Bush: find and terminate Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of a brutal terror network known as Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI).

The Church and the military have a lot in common. Both involve large groups of people. Both have missions. Both exist for the benefit of others. Both require personal sacrifice.

But they also have one very remarkable difference.

Peleliu is a six-mile long island in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the Philippines. It’s a tropical paradise, with rich vegetation, beautiful beaches, and exquisite views. But the tiny island is virtually uninhabited.

That’s because one wrong step could explode a landmine buried there 70 years earlier.

In late 2001, most Americans were still reeling from the coordinated terrorist attacks that shook the entire world. However, a very select few – members of the CIA’s highly trained Team Echo – found themselves in Afghanistan leading Operation Jawbreaker, America’s first retaliation against Al Qaeda and the Taliban.

Unfortunately, some of them would learn that friendly fire is just as deadly as the enemy’s.

Running a 5K isn’t easy. The course stretches 3.1 miles long and can be filled with hills and headwinds. Successful runners know it takes a good pair of running shoes, plenty of training, and unflinching endurance to finish strong.

And it doesn’t hurt to have a good running partner, either.

General William Nelson caused lots of trouble for the Confederate Army that fought against him during the Civil War. The hulking man who stood over 6 feet tall and weighed more than 300lbs well-deserved his nickname of “Bull.”

But after dodging every bullet fired at him by the Confederate Army, he couldn’t dodge just one that was fired at him from the gun of a fellow Union general.

Near the end of Kyle’s medical internship at the city hospital, an elderly man walked in for treatment. It would prove to be a very difficult appointment for the future doctor as the old patient had a thick accent and no health insurance.

But those problems weren’t the biggest.

Throughout his life, President Lincoln developed a reputation for compassion and forgiveness. Regardless of how grievous the offense, or how vile the offender, Lincoln was known to exercise his right of presidential pardon quite often.

Perhaps one of the best known examples was in the case of “the sleeping sentinel.”

Some people live their lives in such a manner that the only way they can be accurately described is “Christlike.” Those people’s lives are marked by humility, generosity, and sacrifice. In short, they are far more focused on others than themselves.

For many reasons, George Washington was one of those people.

History has shown time and again that advancing a kingdom isn’t an easy task. The endeavor demands many resources: soldiers, money, supplies, and time. But the greatest commodity of all is commitment.

Hernando Cortez, the famous Spanish Conquistador, knew that better than anyone else.