I just finished A Bloody Business. In this book the author discusses the changing face of the military and the role of private contractors in the war on terror.

Colonel Gerald Schumacher, the author, sets up a scene that takes place right before the team sets out on a mission that will likely lead to firefights and bloodshed:

There is no bravado at a moment like this. There is no whining. In fact, there isn’t much discussion at all. What can be planned for has been planned for. What can’t be known will be discovered soon enough. This is the moment of commitment. This is the point of no return. In the history of men and women going into battle, this is the point and time that one comes to know who he or she is and what he or she is made of. This is when cowards quibble and brave men and women just nod and say, “Let’s do it.”

This paragraph moves my heart and stirs my passion. These are the kinds of men and women I want to live my life with. I want to live life with warriors who will courageously step out into the killing zone with the conviction that the mission they are on is worth risking everything for. I want to live life with men and women who prepare diligently so that when “go time” comes, they are ready. I want to live life with men and women who do not whine when called on to perform grueling warfare, but rather step up with determination and vigor to answer the call. I want to live life with men and women who will hold nothing back but risk everything for the sake of the mission.

I want to live with men and women who when the words “Let’s do it” are spoken, pack up and roll out.