Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman

From:  Lt. Col. Dave Grossman

     I’ve got something I need to say to you, and all of your magnificent ’sheepdog’ comrades, and it comes from the heart…

     Thirty-two years ago, I was a twenty year old buck sergeant in the 82d Airborne Division, spending over half my time on deployment, leaving behind a young wife and two little babies.
     Twenty-two years ago I was a company commander in Panama, leaving a wife and three little boys back at home.
     Twelve years ago I was wrapping up my military career, deployed every summer and countless weekends and weeks in between, with a wife and teenagers at home.
     For the last eleven years I’ve been on the road, almost 300 days a year, training cops and military.  I get home one or two nights a week:  conjugal visit, clean underwear, and back on the road again.
     For my entire adult life I’ve spent more time away from my loved ones than I ever spent with them.
     And I knew, all they ever had to do, was to pick up the phone and dial three digits, and someone like you would show up to fight and, yes, even die for my loved ones.  
     And so I need to say something:  Thank you.
     Thank you, for walking the mean streets during one of the most violent times in history.
     Thank you, for going toward the sound of the guns, when everyone else runs away.
     Thank you, for being the front-line of defense in the War on Terror.
     Thank you, for going in harm’s way, every day, that others may live.
     Thank you, for watching our back and covering our ’six’ when we are overseas.
     You should hear those words a lot more often:  Thank you.
          May God bless you and yours, as you protect and watch over others,

          Dave Grossman
          Lt Col, USA (ret)
          www.WarriorScience.com

Question: How many kids killed by school fire, in North America, in the last 50 years?

Answer: Zero.

Question: How many kids killed or seriously injured by school violence in the last 10 Years?

Answer: According to the US Secret Service study, in 1998 alone there were 35 murders and over a quarter of a million serious injuries from school violence.

So, statistically speaking, on any give year, your child is literally dozens of times more likely to be killed, and thousands of times more likely to be injured by violence than by fire.  But unlike fire, violence can be deterred.  And the ultimate achievement is the crime that didn’t happen, the student we didn’t have to shoot.

An armed police presence in a school can provide strong deterrence against an attack.  To my knowledge, there has never been a multiple homicide committed by a student in a school that had an armed police officer on site.  (At Columbine High School the killers waited until the school resource officer was not present.  He showed up early in the massacre, engaged the killers in a long-range gunfight, ran out of ammo, and had to leave.)

The killer is not looking for a gunfight.  If he wanted a gunfight he’d go to the police station and the police would oblige him.  The killer is looking for a body count.  Many would-be school killers brag about killing “more than Columbine.”  If they think they will not get away with it, they are far less likely to do it.  

To squelch would-be attackers, Israeli schools have armed security in every school, and armed guards accompany all school buses and all class field trips.   Just a single armed officer in a school makes the prospect of a homicide go way down.

Having unarmed security in or around schools is both pointless and ethically derelict.  Don’t give someone responsibility for human lives and not give them the tools to do the job. You wouldn’t give a firefighter just a hat, uniform and badge, and no hose or water.  That would be negligent… How much more so is it negligent to put police officers or security personnel in a school, and deny them the lifesaving tools of their profession?

Q:  LtCol Grossman,

I know you are a very busy man and I apologize for e-mailing you cold like this but I obtained your e-mail address from a close personal friend, LtCol Mick Davis, USMC.

I am a retired Police Officer, thirty years with _ _ County Police and am currently employed as the Director of Security and Safety at a Senior High School. I have almost three thousand students and two hundred and fifty staff members that I am responsible for and I am trying to utilize all assets available to me.

As I am sure you are aware, I am authorized by federal and state statutes to carry a concealed weapon anywhere in the United States, provided I qualify annually. I do qualify and I train on my own on our firearms at a public range quite regularly.

What I am attempting to accomplish is to convince the School Board to allow those of us who are qualified to carry our weapons on school property. The majority of my peers in the High Schools in our County are also retired Police Officers or Federal Agents and are similarly qualified to carry.

I am proposing a petition to the School Board and all of my fellow Security Directors are willing to sign, requesting the afore mentioned change.

I have been told by Police Officers who have heard you speak on the topic, that you are in favor of arming School Security. If this is accurate, would you be willing to endorse and support my efforts? I understand that there must be specific and rigid regulations pertaining to use of deadly force, type of weapon and method of carry (concealed/open), weapon retention, type of ammunition and so on.

I looked at your web site and your calendar and I know how busy you are but I would really appreciate any input you could provide to me in this critical matter.
I thank you for your service to our country in the Armed Forces and I thank you for your continued service through your current mission.

Sincerely,

B

Director of Safety and Security
Senior High School

****

B,

I would be honored to support your worthy endeavors to have armed security at your school. Below is my response on this topic. If you will send a mailing address we can get you a copy on our stationary with bio attached.

Stay staunch!

Dave

To: Whom it may concern

I am writing to endorse and support the initiative, by B…, Director of Safety and Security … Senior High School as outlined below.

My background in the field of violence prevention and school safety is outlined in the attached bio.

B. is a retired police officer, and as such is authorized by Federal Law (HB 218) to carry a concealed weapon nationwide. B. has informed me of his endeavors to be authorized to carry a concealed weapon as a part of his duties as Director of Safety and Security.

I strongly endorse this initiative and present the following information for consideration:

The ultimate objective of a security program is to deter and prevent a school shooting.  If there is competent, armed security present in a school, the probability of a school shooting in that school is greatly reduced.

The killer is not looking for a gunfight (if so he would go to the police station!), he is seeking a ‘body count’.  If he knows that there are people in the school who can shoot back and thereby prevent him from achieving a headline-grabbing body count, then he is far less likely to attack.
No one wants to have to come into the school and shoot a student.  And no one wants gunfights in our schools.  Therefore the greatest achievement is to deter the attacker, and armed security is the best tool available to accomplish this objective.

If a school shooting does occur, rapid armed response is the only tool available to stop the violence.

In the Virginia Tech college shooting (30 dead) the killing spree lasted nine minutes.  In the Red Lake, Minn., high school shooting (seven dead) the killing spree lasted seven minutes.  In the Northern Illinois college shooting (five dead) the killing spree lasted less than four minutes.

In each of these cases, the event which stopped the killing was the arrival of armed response.  The more quickly armed response can arrive, the more quickly a tragic violent incident can be brought to a close.  And having armed response available on campus is the key ingredient that can stop the killing as quickly as humanly possible.

And finally:

This is not an unusual or exotic initiative.  The state of Utah permits teachers (as approved by education officials) to carry concealed weapons in school.  Law enforcement qualified security professionals are authorized to carry weapons in schools nationwide.

Sincerely,

Dave Grossman
Lt. Col., US Army (ret.)
Director, Killology Research Group
www.warriorsciencegroup.com

Question to Lt. Col. Grossman:

I have been listening to Bulletproof Mind (clips) on YouTube. It is quite good and interesting.  I noticed that in the lectures and in On Killing and On Combat you often refer to crisis debriefing, both formally an informally. I was wondering if the recent research showing the CD has not been as effective as once hoped has changed your opinion on this.  And I was also wondering your opinion on Systematic Desensitization
and PTSD, especially with the recent advances in Virtual Reality.  I think that it has real prospects in treatment, especially in warriors.  On another note, I have recommended your works to many of my fellow Commando Krav Maga instructors, and On Combat has become a “required reading” amongst our family.  If you have the time to check us out (www.commandokravmaga.com) feel free to cruise around our forum.  You sir, would be welcomed among us.
Sincerely
Tony, PsyD
Level 4 CKM Instructor

*****

Tony,

Thanks for your kind note.  I’m honored that my book could be of service to you and yours.

As to scholarly concerns about CISM and post-combat debriefings:

1. There can be no doubt that a debriefing will help us capture tactical lessons.  The military has long understood that the majority of learning from a training exercise happens after the exercise, when we process and examine what has occurred.

2. Additionally, we know that the debrief is vital to fill in memory gaps (research tells us about 50% of cops in gunfights experience this) and to sort out memory distortions (which happens to about 20% of cops in gunfights).  The memory distortions (which are almost always a false memory of something bad: a failure on the individual’s part, abandonment by comrades, etc.) can be particularly destructive if not given a “reality check” … and the individuals who were in combat with the soldier are the only ones who can provide this.

The thing that we have to bear in mind is that the debrief will happen!  Soldiers and cops will talk about what occurred.  You cannot prevent it.  Nor would your want to.  And so the goal is to make this event as productive and therapeutic as possible, accomplishing #1 and #2 above as a minimum.

Soldiers throughout history (at least up until W.W.I, when war became a 24-7 event) sat around the fire the night after the battle and accomplished #1 and #2 above.

Pilots have a formal debrief after every mission, without fail, as standard policy.  Then traditionally they do an informal debrief afterward in the club, over a beer.

So I think that any informed individual would concede that #1 and #2 above will happen, must happen, and are irrefutably of value.  And we must accomplish this in a way that is supportive and healing.

3. But in addition to this, I believe that the debrief can assist is vital healing process of delinking the memory from the emotions, right from the very beginning.  The key (which is not happening in too many cases) is to teach the breathing exercise and to keep the debrief as sterile and unemotional as possible.  And this is where, too often, mental health professionals fail.

Too often the mental health professional’s goal is a “big, kum-by-yah sobfest.”  And this is where we are failing in the therapeutic debriefing process.  We (the mental health community) think that if the soldiers “let out those emotions” that this will be cathartic.  And this is wrong.  During the memorial service or funeral is the time to “mourn, memorialize, and move on.”  During the debriefing is the time for calm, steely-eyed professionalism.

I take my model for this from warrior societies throughout history.  Every warrior society has known that it is okay to mourn during funerals, but at the same time every warrior society has been known for their ability to control their emotions.  The laconic Spartans, the stoic Romans, the inscrutable Samurai, and the stiff upper lip Brit; these are all examples of warrior societies that have developed, across centuries of continuous warfare, a powerful coping mechanism that can lead us down the path of survival in combat, and after combat.

So, to recap:  There can be no doubt that a debrief of some sort will happen.  And it is an opportunity to 1) learn tactical lessons and 2) sort out memory losses and memory distortions.  The goal is to do this in a way that can also assist in 3) delinking the memory from the emotions, from the very beginning.

I hope this helps! Please feel free to pass this on.

Best regards!

Dave

Criminals, domestic terrorists and international terrorists are increasingly attacking with rifles and body armor.  Imagine a police officer fighting for your child’s life at the end of a 70-yard school corridor.  If your police officer is armed with a pistol, fighting against someone with body armor and a rifle, then your officer will be completely outgunned and most likely will be killed.  Not only is the police officer likely to die, but the children he or she is fighting to defend are also very likely to die, simply because someone refused to provide our police with the tools they require.

A criminal or terrorist’s rifle (even a 100 year old, .30-30 level-action rifle) will punch through a law enforcement officer’s soft body armor like it isn’t even there, while the police officer’s pistol bullets will be completely ineffectual against the attacker’s body armor.

Shotguns not up to the task

A number of agencies continue to employ the shotgun as the patrol long gun. Often loaded with buckshot, this combination cannot meet the needs of addressing a deadly force threat at the distances found in schools hallways and cafeterias or places of public gathering.  There is profound legal liability associated with firing a shotgun blast of buckshot at an assailant in crowded classroom, mall, or theater.  The spread of the buckshot pellets places those downrange, who are not intended targets, at great risk.

• When a police officer fires a blast of buckshot, can that officer guarantee or even account for the point of impact of each and every pellet go? No.

• Is the officer accountable for who is wounded or killed by the errant buckshot?  Yes.

Beyond 15 yards, buckshot fired from the typical law enforcement shotgun creates a significant hazard to innocent persons. As a result, I believe that any police agency currently armed with such a weapon and ammunition is likely to be found “deliberately indifferent” (the US Supreme Court standard found in Canton v. Harris) to the constitutional rights of those wrongly injured or killed and legally liable.  As an intermediate step, many departments are turning to shotgun slugs.  LAPD has switched completely to slugs for their shotguns.

But the use of shotgun slugs presents a number of problems.  First, there is a significant difference in accuracy and effective range when compared to the .223 rifle/carbine. Second, there is a very real over-penetration problem associated with shotgun slugs.  The shotgun slug is a large mass of lead that has the ability to penetrate bodies and walls.  Third, most shotgun training programs limit the use of slugs to twenty-five or less rounds for an entire year of training. The recoil is severe and many officers will not accept the shotgun or choose to train with it. The .223 rifle/carbine is not only accepted by officers but found to be easy to control with no complaint of recoil discomfort or pain.  Hundreds of rounds are fired in training with resulting competency and acceptance by patrol officers.

• When a police officer fires that shotgun slug, can he account for what it will do after it has gone through a wall? No.

• Are you legally accountable for what that shotgun slug does after it goes through the third wall?  Yes.

Patrol Rifles are Essential Lifesaving Equipment

The answer to effectively arming our first responding police officers, a solution which is being embraced by law enforcement agencies nationwide, is the adoption of the .223 rifle / carbine.  (Such as the Mini-14, M-16, AR-15, and M-4.)  The .223 (or 5.56mm, which is the military designation for this round) is a lightweight, .22-caliber bullet.  With the proper bullet design, the .223 cartridge has less over - penetration potential than a 9mm pistol bullet; yet because of the high velocity of the .223, it will penetrate soft body armor.  The .223 rifle / carbine is accurate to 300 yards, has very light recoil, and is readily accepted by our female and light framed officers.  The .223 rifle / carbine is an ideal law enforcement tool that is an integral part of police equipment nation wide.

All political and law enforcement authorities are encouraged to look at their current policies, and ensure that they take all possible steps to provide their law enforcement officers with this vital, lifesaving tool.
Respectfully,

Dave Grossman
Lt. Col., US Army (ret.)
Director, Killology Research Group

—

LAW

Canton v. Harris  489 U.S. 378  (1989)

excerpt portion of Supreme Court decision:

Though we agree with the court below that a city can be liable under 1983 for inadequate training of its employees, we cannot agree that the District Court’s jury instructions on this issue were proper, for we conclude that the Court of Appeals provided an overly broad rule for when a municipality can be held liable under the “failure to train” theory. Unlike the question whether a municipality’s failure to train employees can ever be a basis for 1983 liability - on which the Courts of Appeals have all agreed, see n. 6, supra, - there is substantial division among the lower courts as to what degree of fault must be evidenced by the municipality’s inaction before liability will be permitted.7 We hold today that the inadequacy of police training may serve as the basis for 1983 liability only where the failure to train amounts to deliberate indifference to the rights of persons with whom the police come into contact.8 This rule is most consistent with our admonition [489 U.S. 378, 389] in Monell, 436 U.S., at 694, and Polk County v. Dodson, 454 U.S. 312, 326 (1981), that a municipality can be liable under 1983 only where its policies are the “moving force [behind] the constitutional violation.” Only where a municipality’s failure to train its employees in a relevant respect evidences a “deliberate indifference” to the rights of its inhabitants can such a shortcoming be properly thought of as a city “policy or custom” that is actionable under 1983. As JUSTICE BRENNAN’s opinion in Pembaur v. Cincinnati, 475 U.S. 469, 483-484 (1986) (plurality) put it: “[M]unicipal liability under 1983 attaches where - and only where - a deliberate choice to follow a course of action is made from among various alternatives” by city policymakers. See also Oklahoma City v. Tuttle, 471 U.S., at 823 (opinion of REHNQUIST, J.). Only where a failure to train reflects a “deliberate” or “conscious” choice by a municipality - a “policy” as defined by our prior cases - can a city be liable for such a failure under 1983. Monell’s rule that a city is not liable under 1983 unless a municipal policy causes a constitutional deprivation will not be satisfied by merely alleging that the existing training program for a class of employees, such as police officers, represents a policy for which the city is responsible.9 That much [489 U.S. 378, 390] may be true. The issue in a case like this one, however, is whether that training program is adequate; and if it is not, the question becomes whether such inadequate training can justifiably be said to represent “city policy.” It may seem contrary to common sense to assert that a municipality will actually have a policy of not taking reasonable steps to train its employees. But it may happen that in light of the duties assigned to specific officers or employees the need for more or different training is so obvious, and the inadequacy so likely to result in the violation of constitutional rights, that the policymakers of the city can reasonably be said to have been deliberately indifferent to the need.10 In that event, the failure to provide proper training may fairly be said to represent a policy for which the city is responsible, and for which the city may be held liable if it actually causes injury.11

Footnote 10] For example, city policymakers know to a moral certainty that their police officers will be required to arrest fleeing felons. The city has armed its officers with firearms, in part to allow them to accomplish this task. Thus, the need to train officers in the constitutional limitations on the use of deadly force, see Tennessee v. Garner, 471 U.S. 1 (1985), can be said to be “so obvious,” that failure to do so could properly be characterized as “deliberate indifference” to constitutional rights

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The additional big ones that come to mind right off the bat are obviously Va. Tech, Omaha, Salt lake City, & the school house in PA where the guy killed all those kids. Many more exist as you know. If I were you I would research a recent event in or around Cleveland where had there been a patrol rifle armed PO the incident may have been stopped. Don’t forget the other applications for the weapon i.e. felony stops, perimeter operations, slow & methodical building clearing (ergonomics v. shot gun), ect… Take a look at the slide in our PRI power point that outlines “why they didn’t allow us to have these weapons in the past” as it will prep you for the most common hang-ups.

Finally, use those slides we use in the PRI that outline “why a PO needs a patrol rifle”

1. Ergonomics, amm
2. Citizen & Officer safety (extended perimeters)
3. unition capacity, Accuracy & Ballistics (show effective range charts & penetration charts)
4. Liability reduction (proficiency - propensity for over penetration, ect..)
5. Training (easy to learn & use, increased accuracy equates to increased confidence and even better performance with other weapons, ect..)
6. Increasing threats to our citizens and officer by well armed criminals,  terrorists, and the after math of natural destruction  (i.e. new Orleans).

Pat - to me the number one thing every agency should have over and above respirators, interoperable communications and all the other high dollar home land security equipment is every officer should have a rifle. Everything else should come after that. One rifle armed patrol man can stop an active shooter at 200 yards, hold down a number of terrorists for a period of time at distance, conduct a warrant service in a cqb environment, and on and on….. Bottom line is money spent of rifles will be used on an everyday basis, not the if come of a terrorist act (like how they spend on chemical suits and radios). And when that does come, if it’s an active shooter scenario and subsequent truck bombing like so many suspect, what better equipment could you ask for than a rifle? If they succeed with a  dirty bomb or chemical attack those in the affected area won’t be around to worry about it anyhow, even if they have respirators and interoperable radios, but the civil up unrest that will occur afterward will have to be dealt with by those on the fringes and a rifle will be one of the most important components in being successful in the short term until normalcy returns. I’m off my soap box….

Later  and good luck Patrick!!

Jeff Felts
Center Mass, Inc.

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As I said to Eric,

This is a myth perpetuated by those who either do know or do not care to know. There is no increased “liability” for individually owned firearms that are approved, trained on, documented and treated no different than one that is issued. What liability might there be?  I have asked others who somehow believed this and they have no answer. It is all about training, documentation, and common accepted practices. Selection of weapons… Should you allow .50 cal Desert Eagles…probably not in the city but that is your choice. You may work in the North Country where Brown Bears will eat you. One agency mandates Glock 21’s…not happening for small hands. If it must be…hold to same type but different frame size. Choices to be made for good reasons, not that old BS that we must all look alike. If NYPD can allow choices, so can any other agency. Size is not the determiner. For us city lads, the common police duty guns and calibers do fine.

What I know for certain is that individually owned gear gets treated better than dept. stuff and fits the officer as to hand and body size.

Stay safe.

Regards,

Jeff




Subj: Assistance request

Chief,

I would appreciate it if you could put this out to the list.  Its an
argument that I’ve dealt with routinely.

In a perfect world, every department would be able to provide each officer
with all the firearms they may need and all the provided guns would
perfectly fit the individual officer.

It seems I often hear the excuse “too much liability” with regard to
officers carrying personally owned firearms on duty (pistol, rifle, shotgun,
backup guns).  Those who have used that excuse to me have never been able to
define HOW exactly there is increased liability for either the department or
officer provided that:

1. The officer is given permission to carry the firearm
2. The officer is properly trained and qualified with the firearm
3. The firearm meets department specifications and is properly and regularly maintained and inspected by qualified personnel.  No unauthorized modifications.
4. Only department approved duty ammo allowed.

Obviously the officer may or may not receive the firearm back after a
shooting, but I cannot see any other drawback to this.

Does anyone actually know of any court case at any level of the system that
determined that a department or officer was held liable simply because of
personal ownership of a firearm?

Thanks and stay safe.

SPO Eric

****

From Pat Sweeney;

A Master of all things shootable.

Pat is one of our training cadre and was recentley appointed as handgun editor for G&A Magazine.

Good man indeed.

Stay safe.

Regards,

Jeff

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Subj: Re: Assistance Requested: LESO Program

Dear Bob,

The acquisition is, as far as I recall, painless but uncertain as to
delivery time. The cost is hard to beat. However, the rifles that you’ll
pull out of the box will be only partially-suited for patrol use.

The rifles will be long, and relatively unhandy in a car. The
options to make them handier can be reasonably cost-effective, or as
expensive as you want to make them.

At a minimum, even if you do not change the rifle configurations,
you’ll want to:

1. Replace all extractor springs with new springs, black buffers and MGI D-Fenders. Cost: $20 per rifle.
2. Scrub and inspect all bores, then shoot the rifles for group. Rarely, a rifle is sent that does not shoot well. Ammo cost, $10 per rifle, new barrels (if needed) can be $125 to $300.
3. Invest in proper, reliable magazines. 20 or 30 round capacity is a choice much debated. Buy USGI. Roughly $10 per magazine, two per rifle minimum.
4. Send at least one Officer through the NEMRT (or equivalent) Patrol rifle class, followed by the Instructors class. Rifles cannot prudently be issued without training. Once trained, your Officer can then conduct departmental training for the rest of your officers.

Modifications to make the rifles better-suited for patrol car use:

The 20″ barrel is long, but can be managed if the stocks are made
shorter. If you want a shorter barrel, the original barrel can be
shortened, re-threaded and the flash hider re-installed for less than
the cost of a new barrel. The original barrels will have a twist rate of
1-12″, and will be suited for bullets 60 grains or less in weight.
Replacement barrels can be in any twist offered, and can thus permit the
use of heavier bullets, up to the 77 grain Mk 262 Mod 1. Shortened barrels rarely require other changes. In our work, we have
encountered a single instance of a shortened barrel (from 20″ to 16.5″) requiring gas port alterations.

The stocks can be shortened by replacing the fixed stock with a sliding stock. The labor is a simple task for a trained Armorer (NEMRT
also has AR-15/M-16 armorers classes) and the parts costs varies again depending on the extras. At the base level, the parts cost can be only
$55, and up to $300.

A sling is a must, and simple works fine. A plain sling that is quite useful can be made for ;less than $10 in materials. For patrol
use, a two or three-point tactical sling can be too complicated, bulky and prone to tangling on vehicle equipment. The NEMRT class includes
sling instruction.

That covers it for now.

Regards,
Patrick

Many times, while out on the road, I get requests for info on how to acquire rifles for police agencies.  The program varies from state-to-state, but here, below, is the info I have available on this topic.

Each state has a 10-33 Program LESO Coordinator.

It is done through the state government, for example, in Illinois it is Central Management Services.

The 10-33 Program is a federal program that distributes military surplus gear.

Part of the gear is M-16 A1 rifles, pistols, and shotguns.

Department only purchase.

Here is a Web Site with more info: https://pubweb.drms.dla.mil/cmis/

The Sheepdog…
by Officer Samuel Jeppsen

Of all the creatures who live on God’s green earth,
of all those that spawn, lay eggs or that give birth,
from the human, the lion, the tiger or even the bear,
there is one thing that all God’s creatures share.
They will all move away from the sound of the gun.
There is but one that will move toward it and not run.
That one, that singular creature, wears a human face.
He brings both misery and joy to the human race.
So who is the one who goes toward the sound of the gun?
When all other creatures, man or beast, turn and run?

It is the warrior, that’s who! And he’s like no other creature.
No, no other creature on the face of the earth bears that feature.
But there are two kinds of warriors, the good and the bad.
Two kinds of warriors that make us happy or sad.
At a distance, you may think that both kinds look alike.
But inside, the warriors are as different as day and night.
To one, it’s an opportunity to take advantage or to subject.
To the other, it’s a feeling of duty. It’s a need to protect.
Yes, the two kinds of warriors are different throughout.
It’s the wolf and the sheepdog that I’m talking about.

The majority of people are kind, no harm would they bring.
They are good people who always try to do the right thing.
They are as the sheep in the field, going about their daily lives,
trying to better themselves and others as opportunities arise.
The wolf roams the edges of the field, feeding on the sheep.
When he catches one not looking,he sinks his teeth in deep.
He rips and tears their life apart, causing mayhem and disaster,
not caring about the pain he brings or the pain he will leave thereafter.
He looks for the old, the lame or the weak, before moving in to make his kill.
He’ll run in packs, no honor has he, his soul is ugly, his thinking ill.

The wolf, a pirate and predator, is feared by everyone who roams the field.
All except for the sheepdog who tries to keep order and carries a shield.
The sheep seldom think about the sheepdog, their lives busy with other things.
But they like knowing that he’s there, they like the security he brings.
His duty is to protect the sheep and fight the wolf, even to the loss of his life.
And he prays God will understand his inner scars that came from all the
strife.
So when next you see a police motorcade for yet another fallen sheepdog go by, say a prayer for those that follow him, they’ll all have a tear in their eye.
Protecting the sheep and fighting the wolves is a duty the sheepdog feels in his heart.
May he rest in God’s grace, in a heavenly place, may his memory never depart.

Inspired by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, and the three most recent valley officers,
killed in the line of duty.
Officer James Snedigar #312, Officer Goelet Beuf #6896, Officer Skip Fink #940

**************

The Debriefing…
by Officer Samuel Jeppsen

“How are you? It’s good to see you, even though it’s late.
I saw what happened, so I thought I’d meet you at The Gate.
I can see you have several questions you want to ask of Me.
Like, what happened, why you, and what about your family.
There is a lot you won’t be able to understand right away.
So you’ll have to trust Me and take solace in what I say.

It’s no surprise you are here, you’ve been called home for a reason.
The loved ones you left behind will be with you again in a season.
It was all part of the plan, you know, that you chose to be one to fight.
You were called from the beginning to protect others with your might.

You see, I warned everyone of evil, and that evil was very cunning.
I warned the others to turn away, to hurry and leave running.
But if everyone turned away and from evil they ran,
then evil would rule because they’d know they can.

So I had to ask some of you to run not. But instead, stay and fight.
This, that evil be stayed, even turn and take flight.
I asked you few to do your duty, be fair and don’t make the mistake
of becoming cynical or callous; though it is one many did make.

I told you, few would understand the call to duty I put in you,
and most would question your values and your love of family too.
I told you some of you would fall and to take no worry of that.
That I’d take care of you and your families where’re they’re at.

I’m aware that your death there; tears at the hearts of your family,
but trust Me, they’ll receive love and peace from Me personally.
Your children will be watched over, I’ll take care of them too.
And in time they’ll understand what it was I asked of you.

That you be one of those to take up the sword and protect the rest.
That you were chosen because you were among My bravest and best.
Yes, though I asked the others to run from evil with all their might,
I thank you …for being one who was willing stay the line and fight.”

Dedicated to the Families and Friends of Those
Who Have Lost Loved Ones Serving Our Country
and The Cause of Freedom and Justice for All.

God Bless You, …Always.

Inspired by the day to day falling of our troops
who are trying to give the mothers, their children
and grandchildren of Afganistan and Iraq: freedom.

A Warrior’s Heart
by Anthony W. Busch

As I awake from my slumber,
My mind on my task,
I don my armor,
And walk the warrior’s path.

I am ready to fight;
Not for glory or fame,
And more importantly not to elevate my name.

I do walk this path, each and every day,
My life on the line and it’s not for the pay.

My task is hard and tears I have shed,
For the horrors I’ve seen that are stuck in my head.

But I make you this promise as I begin my quest:
I will protect you and your family and even your guest.

So close your eyes knowing I will do my best,
And know without doubt, tonight you can safely rest.

Please trust in your heart every word I have said.
May I never betray your trust.
I would rather be dead.

For this is my charge and a promise I swore,
Tonight is the night that I shall go to war.

And if I should live to see this day end,
I will rest my head and this pray again…

LORD, watch over my sheep as now I must sleep,
And forgive me my slumber,
My promise I must keep!

God, grant me this wish that when I awake,
Today in their life a difference I will make.

As I awake from my slumber,
My mind on my task,
I don my armor,
Again today, I walk the warrior’s path.

***********************************************

The Sheepdogs
by: Russ Vaughn
2d Bn, 327th Parachute Infantry Regiment
101st Airborne Division
Vietnam 65-66

Most humans truly are like sheep
Wanting nothing more than peace to keep
To graze, grow fat and raise their young,
Sweet taste of clover on the tongue.
Their lives serene upon Life’s farm,
They sense no threat nor fear no harm.
On verdant meadows, they forage free
With naught to fear, with naught to flee.
They pay their sheepdogs little heed
For there is no threat; there is no need.

To the flock, sheepdog’s are mysteries,
Roaming watchful round the peripheries.
These fang-toothed creatures bark, they roar
With the fetid reek of the carnivore,
Too like the wolf of legends told,
To be amongst our docile fold.
Who needs sheepdogs? What good are they?
They have no use, not in this day.
Lock them away, out of our sight
We have no need of their fierce might.

But sudden in their midst a beast
Has come to kill, has come to feast
The wolves attack; they give no warning
Upon that calm September morning
They slash and kill with frenzied glee
Their passive helpless enemy
Who had no clue the wolves were there
Far roaming from their Eastern lair.
Then from the carnage, from the rout,
Comes the cry, “Turn the sheepdogs out!”

Thus is our nature but too our plight
To keep our dogs on leashes tight
And live a life of illusive bliss
Hearing not the beast, his growl, his hiss.
Until he has us by the throat,
We pay no heed; we take no note.
Not until he strikes us at our core
Will we unleash the Dogs of War
Only having felt the wolf pack’s wrath
Do we loose the sheepdogs on its path.

And the wolves will learn what we’ve shown before;
We love our sheep, we Dogs of War.

The Angel of the Night
by Dave Grossman

Fear not the night.
Fear that which walks the night.
And *I* am that which walks the night.

But only evil need fear me …
and gentle souls sleep safe in their beds…
because I walk the night.

*************************

I Will Not Run
by L. Reece

My heart has been broken in a million pieces,
But I will not run….

My riches have been ripped away from me,
But I will not run….

Pain, exhaustion and weakness attack my body,
But I will not run….

My loved ones betrayed me,
But I will not run…

My own mind plays tricks on me,
But I will not run….

My family was taken from me,
But I will not run….

I’ve been beaten, bashed, assailed, afflicted and humiliated,
But I will not run….

I am stalked by one who wants to murder me,
But I will not run…
away.

I hunt the wolf.