The Iraqi Desert is expansive, with a sparse western and southern desert population. The desert swallows nearly two-fifths of the country with low humidly, arid conditions and hot temperatures during the summer months. The desert comprises various plant life such as vegetation for erosion control and to block wind. The Ziziphus is a sacred plant in Iraq. The Crucifixion of Christ is in the Quran. The Christ Jujube ( Ziziphus spina-christi) is similar to Israel’s reverence of the plant as participating in the Crucifixion of Christ. I can only imagine Christ met these thorns during His 40 days of temptation in the desert. The Iraq Western Southern desert, Al-Hajarah, has seasonal streambeds, rocky deserts, and occasional rain showers. The Eastern Southern desert, Al-Dibdibah, is sandy with dust storms. On the way to Bagdad, a dust storm stalled us. I could still see a vehicle 25 meters in front of me. In the desert, we matured as a cohesive unit.
God speaks to us in the desert and lonely places. I cried out to God alone in these vast places to connect with Him during disarray. Some of us examined ourselves to confess weakness in our armor while absorbing the strength and glory of God. Many complain, like the Israelites, about the lack of necessities after crossing the Red Sea (Ex 15:22). Our equipment needed upgraded with lifesaving armor and a vest for the troops. We were sitting ducks for an easy kill. Our higher command couldn’t care less, in my presence, hoarding suitable body armor in a large room at the command entrance. They clearly said the vest was for others. Reservists take leftovers. It felt like our reserve unit was the enemy under this command. They denied one of my soldiers a bottle of water. This visceral hatred for the Reserve Component is common among many Active-Duty Army personnel.
Drawing near to God in prayer in the face of uncertainty provided us the diligence to lean forward in the foxhole naked despite these commands. As we traveled to Bagdad in a hostile environment of the unknown, my life longed for our unit to have confidence in our training and readiness in the face of spiritual darkness. Some troops praised God for their confidence in our training and readiness for the mission. The desert is the place for preparation. Jesus was driven into the desert for 40 days to prepare himself for the ministry of crucifixion for our spiritual freedom (Mt 4:1-4).
The exit signs into Bagdad were half-backed with dust. The Directional signs felt Cool. The entrance to our tent plot was at the Airport. We quickly met vendors selling blocks of Ice. The city was still vibrating from the “shock and awe campaign.” The enemy was unnoticeable. It is like a housekeeper swept all the daemons away. The evil infestation surfaced again my second tour, much worse than before. We were not effective at closing all the borders in Western Iraq. The enemy had access. We made it home in Bagdad.
