Playing Catch-up

Okay, I am going to do a few posts here in the next few minutes, which are actually emails I sent some of you. I promise to try better on the blogging in the next few weeks!

From an email:

Jasen's former battalion commander (his last boss), LTC Greg Gadson, was injured today in Iraq. The vehicle he was in was hit by an IED (improvised explosive device). Although Greg is still alive, the injuries to his legs are substantial. He does still have both legs, but there is serious concern as to whether they will be able to save them. Greg is somewhere between Iraq and Germany now.

Please pray for Greg's health, specifically that he may keep his legs, and as he travels from Iraq to Germany to the US. Please pray for Greg's wife, Kim, for her peace of mind, for her safe travel, as she will go to be with Greg in the next day or so. Pray for their kids, Gabby, 15, and Jalen, 13.

Also in the vehicle was Jasen's former first sergeant, 1SG Frederick Johnson. He was acting as the battalion sergeant major at the time. He is the one that saved Greg's life, loaded him into the medical Humvee. Jasen was there when they were brought into Falcon. He is concerned for his first sergeant, whom he loves so much, and the 1SG's peace of mind. Please pray for him.

In this kind of thing, when a higher officer is injured, there are so many waves of people affected. Please pray for the soldiers, commanders and staff of Jasen's former battalion, 2/32FA. There is some peace for all of us that commanders aren't affected, but when they are, it is devastating.

For those of you who are civilians, it's hard to explain some of what we feel for these two families. Jasen, Greg, and THE 1SGT (I could never call him anything else) were some of the first people in this battalion. They built that battalion together. They are our family here, we started here together.

I will go over this evening to be with Kim for an hour or so. Please, pray for all these people. And pray for Jasen. He saw a man he loves near death, and another man he loves blaming himself for the situation. Pray that Jasen will be strong and that he'll deal with this. He said the last 24 hours were the worst he's spent in Iraq. That says a lot, coming from someone who has been ambushed more than once.

We are all just numb and hurting and really need your prayers.