Staff Sergeant (SSG) Joe M. Parish MOS: 74D30, Chemical Operations Specialist

x5 x5 x2
Active duty service time: 7y5m

Fort McClellan, Alabama 04FEB99-15JUL99 Charlie Company, 82nd Chemical Battalion Schools: Basic Training, Chemical Operations Specialist Course (OSUT) Positions: Platoon Guide

Suwon Airbase, Korea 21SEP99-20SEP00 Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion (Patriot), 43rd Air Defense Artillery Schools: NBC Warfare Course Positions: NBC NCO, BC's Driver, 1SG's Driver, Command Post Night Operations NCO, Battery Photographer, Orderly Room Clerk

Fort Riley, Kansas 20SEP00-20SEP04 172nd Chemical Company Schools: SATS 4.1 Operator Course, ARCIS Operator Course, Military Driver's Training, PLDC (Fort Sill) Positions: Smoke Generator Operator, Smoke Track Driver, Smoke Track Commander, Training NCO, Company Photographer, Command Post Night Operations NCO, Command Track Driver, Energy Conservation NCO, Barracks NCOIC, Assistant Squad Leader, Armorer, Arms Room NCOIC, TSIRT (Theatre-Specific Individual Readiness Training) Instructor for NBC. Deployments: Operation Iraqi Freedom (08APR2003-19MAR2004). Stationed at Camp Virginia, Kuwait Naval Base, Theatre Supply of Ammunition, Camp Arifjan, and Camp Wolf as rear-eschelon guardians. Immediate command was (for most of the deployment) 1-62 Infantry Battalion (National Guard) out of Washington state; major command was Army Central Command (3rd Army).

Camp Stanley, Korea 20SEP04-01APR05 Headquarters and Headquarters Service Support Battery, 1st Battalion, 38th Field Artillery Regiment Schools: Equal Opportunity Representative Course Positions: Battalion NBC NCO, Alternate Battery EO Rep, Assistant Battalion NBC NCO, Battery NBC NCO Supervisor, Battery NBC NCO, Section Chief, OPFOR NCOIC

Camp Red Cloud, Korea 01APR05-15SEP05 Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2UEx Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Cell Positions: Logistics NCO, Divisional CDE NCO

Fort Polk, Louisiana 15SEP05-07SEP06 7th Chemical Company, 83rd Chemical Battalion Positions: Squad Leader, Team Leader, Convoy QRF NCO

Beaumont, Texas 08SEP06-15APR07 Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 133d Field Artillery Regiment Texas National Guard Positions: Battalion CBRN NCO, Squad Leader

Why did you join the Army?
Because I was a sheepdog. (see below)

What did you actually do in the Army?
I'd just seen the movie "The Rock" with Nicholas Cage and Sean Connery, and had also recently taken an organic chemistry class. I was really wondering what the military knew about how to protect us from chemical weapons. I calculated that with a budget of a few tens of thousands of dollars and one NASCAR event, I could kill several hundred thousand people. If I could do that, then I wondered what could a terrorist do -- and what was Uncle Sam doing to protect us all? So, I joined as a 'Chemical Operations Specialist' -- someone who taught the joes out on the front lines how to protect themselves from chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons. That means I had to know the equipment and the procedures inside and out, study the literature about weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), teach on occasion, throw riot-control gas at soldiers now and again, do inventories, give presentations and assessments on units as a whole, and so on. I did everything they'd let me do; when they asked for volunteers, I raised my hand every time. Eventually they got sick of me doing everything, and quit calling on me unless they had a sweet job somewhere -- and the soldiers under-performing got the shit details. Sometimes literally. I had a great time while I was in. I still wish, sometimes, I hadn't gotten out.

You got out after seven years. Why?
I got out for a number of reasons, my health being the biggest one. A couple of MRIs in 2005 showed degeneration of some joints, probably from over-training and bad genes, and it was really a career-ender. Add to that not having spent a Thanksgiving with my family in seven years, and getting out was a no-brainer. I'd love to have stayed in. If my health had been up for it, I'd intended to go Ranger, and more. That's life, though, ya know? I'm glad I did it, despite the long-term health risks; I got to go places and see things that most people only dream about.

Where all have you been?
I spent two years in South Korea, and a year in Kuwait. The rest of my time was spent in Kansas and Louisiana, with the majority of that time in Kansas. The mountains in Korea are gorgeous, and the history and traditions of its people were a delight to learn. I had some really good guys, and made some good friends. The year I spent in the Middle East was both the best and the worst of my career. I can say this, though: I like the desert, and its heat -- I'm well-suited for deserts.

So you didn't go to Iraq or Afghanistan?
No, thankfully. I wish I'd gone, honestly, but I didn't get assigned to either duty station, much to the relief of my family, I'm sure.

What were your best and your worst experiences in the Army?
Hoo... That's a loaded question. There's some stuff I'm not going to talk about, both for personal and political reasons; it's too raw and too painful, still. Probably the worst of it was being in Kuwait for a year, experiencing 140 degree temperatures, and being away from my wife. That, or freezing my butt off in the mountains near Rocket Valley north of Quijongbu when it was 15 below, after working until almost dawn getting defenses set up. Or there was a couple of weeks I did 36 on, 8 off shifts; I was a babbling maniac by the end of that one. The best... The people, the experience. I made some damn good friends while I was in. I still keep in touch with many of them, though we've all started to drift apart a bit as time goes on. The experience, and the training, though, has left a lasting impact on my psyche. I feel like I could bleed green.

Would you say the Army was the reason for your divorce?
No. It does, however, take a very special kind of spouse to support a military man -- or woman. From what I understand, most marriages end in divorce, now, anyway -- but in the military, the divorce rate is significantly higher than in the civilian world. The stress on a marriage -- especially newlyweds -- is just too much. Toss in a lil post-traumatic stress syndrome, the secrecy that surrounds some operations, the months and sometimes years away from home... It all adds up. It takes a very special spouse to maintain a relationship with a soldier, and many women simply do not want to deal with that kind of stress.

Would you recommend the Army or the Armed Services to anyone?
Not to everyone; it's not for everyone. But for anyone who wants Uncle Sam to pay for their schooling and any work-related injuries... For anyone who wants to see the world, learn new languages, experience new cultures... For anyone who just needs to get away from it all and live on their own for awhile, and yet have people close by to help them deal with it... I recommend it. Hell, I encourage it. Yeah, you might get shot at or drive over an IED -- but you still, statistically, stand a higher chance of dying driving in Houston traffic. Or so I'm told. How else, though, are you going to know if you're tough enough to handle some of the worst Life has to offer, unless you undergo a lil privation and stress?

Do you regret your time in the Army?
Not at all. If I had to do it all over again, I'd've joined straight out of high school, instead of waiting four years and going to college in the meantime.

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Sheep Allegory

Originally received on 06NOV2007 from SSG Harry McKenzie (US Army, retired).

This letter was written by Charles Grennel and his comrades who are veterans of the Global War On Terror. Grennel is an Army Reservist who spent two years in Iraq and helped to put together the first Iraq elections, January of 2005.

It was written to Ms. Jill Edwards, at that time a student at the University of Washington, who did not want to honor Medal of Honor winner USMC Colonel Greg "Pappy" Boyington. (Black Sheep Squadron, WWII)

Ms. Edwards and other students and faculty at UW expressed the opinion that those who serve in the U.S. armed services are not good role models for students.

Here's Grennel's response:

To: Jill Edwards, (student, University of Washington)

Subject: Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs

Dear Miss Edwards,

I read of your "student activity" regarding the proposed memorial to Col. Greg Boyington, USMC and a Medal of Honor winner. You may be too young to appreciate fully the sacrifices of generations of servicemen and servicewomen on whose shoulders you and your fellow students stand. I forgive you for the untutored ways of youth and your naivety. It may be that you are, simply, a sheep. There's no dishonor in being a sheep -- as long as you know and accept what you are.

In a lecture to the United States Naval Academy November 24, 1997, William J. Bennett made the following observations:

"Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident."

We may well be in the most violent times in history, but violence is still remarkably rare. This is because most citizens are kind, decent people who are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep.

Then there are the wolves and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy. Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.

Then there are sheepdogs and I'm a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf. If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen, a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath, a wolf.

But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? What do you have then? A sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the uncharted path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed.

We know that the sheep live in denial, that is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kids' schools. But many of them are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer in their kid's school. Our children are thousands of times more likely to be killed or seriously injured by school violence than fire, but the sheep's only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone coming to kill or harm their child is just too hard, and so they chose the path of denial.

The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, cannot and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheep dog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours. Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn't tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports, in camouflage fatigues, holding an M-16.

The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, "Baa." Until the wolf shows up. Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog. For instance, the students at Columbine High School were big, tough high school students, and under ordinary circumstances they would not have had the time of day for a police officer. They were not bad kids; they just had nothing to say to a cop. But when the school was under attack, and SWAT teams were clearing the rooms and hallways. Those once-ignored officers had to physically peel those clinging, sobbing kids off of them.

This is how the little lambs feel about their sheepdog when the wolf is at the door. Look at what happened after September 11, 2001 when the wolf pounded hard on the door. Remember how America more than ever before, felt differently about their law enforcement officers and military personnel? Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny critter. He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and yearning for a righteous battle.

That is, the young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous battle. The old sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when needed, right along with the young ones.

Now, here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently: The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, while the sheepdog lives for that day.

After the attacks on September 11, 2001, the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, "Thank God I wasn't on one of those planes". The sheepdogs said, "Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could have made a difference."

You want to be able to make a difference. There is nothing morally superior about a warrior, but he does have one real advantage. Only one. And that is that he is able to survive and thrive in an environment that destroys 98 percent of the sheep.

There was research conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of violent crimes. These cons were in prison for serious, predatory crimes of violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast majority said that they specifically targeted victims by body language: slumped walk, passive behavior, and lack of awareness. They chose their victims exactly like big cats do in Africa, selecting one out of the herd that is least able to protect itself. Some people may be destined to be sheep and others might be genetically primed to be wolves or sheepdogs. But I believe that most people can choose which one they want to be, and I'm proud to say that more and more Americans are choosing to become sheepdogs.

Seven months after the attack on September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer was honored in his hometown of Cranbury, New Jersey Todd, as you recall, was the man on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania who called on his cell phone to alert an operator from United Airlines about the hijacking. When they learned of the other three passenger planes that had been used as weapons, Todd and the other passengers confronted the terrorist hijackers. In one hour, a transformation occurred among the passengers - athletes, business people and parents - from sheep to sheepdogs and together they fought the wolves, ultimately saving an unknown number of lives on the ground.

"There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men." - Edmund Burke.

Here is a point I like to emphasize; especially to the thousands of police officers and soldiers I speak to each year. In nature the sheep, real sheep, are born as sheep. Sheepdogs are born that way, and so are wolves. They didn't have a choice.

But you are not a critter. As a human being, you can be whatever you want to be. It is a conscious, moral decision. If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a sheepdog there to protect you.

If you want to be a wolf, you can be one, but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have rest, safety, trust, or love. But if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior's path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip, and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.

This business of being a sheep or a sheep dog is not a yes-no dichotomy. It is not an all-or-nothing, either-or choice. It is a matter of degrees, a continuum. On one end is an abject, head-in-the-sand-sheep and on the other end is the ultimate warrior. Few people exist completely on one end or the other. Most of us are somewhere in between. Since 9-11 almost everyone in America took a step up that continuum, away from denial. The sheep took a few steps toward accepting and appreciating their warriors, and the warriors started taking their job more seriously. It's ok to be a sheep, but do not kick the sheep dog. Indeed, the sheep dog may just run a little harder, strive to protect a little better, and be fully prepared to pay an ultimate price in battle and spirit with the sheep moving from "baa" to "thanks."

Like good sheepdogs, we warriors do not call for gifts or freedoms beyond our lot. We just need a small pat on the head, a smile and a thank you to fill the emotional tank, which is drained while protecting the sheep. And when our number is called by "The Almighty" and day retreats into night, a small prayer before the heavens just may be in order to say thanks for letting you continue to be a sheep. And be grateful for the thousands -- millions -- of American sheepdogs who permit you, Ms. Edwards, the freedom to express even bad ideas."