Journey into Baghdad

By Carol Pipes

Carol Pipes stands in front of the famed Saddam Hussein statues that were torn down in the early days of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Baghdad blooms   An Iraqi soldier guards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Baghdad. The monument was built in honor of the soldiers who died during the Iran/Iraq war. Tim Kwait and Carol Pipes, who serve on the Communications Team at the North American Mission Board, spent almost three weeks embedded with Southern Baptist military chaplains serving in Baghdad, Iraq.   Faith in the Sand – American soldiers in Iraq are not just safeguarding freedom for others. They are also finding it for themselves. See how God is using Southern Baptist chaplains to change lives in one of the most difficult environments on earth.   Download

Six months ago, I boarded a C-130 for a once-in-a-lifetime journey to the land of desert sheiks, Aladdin's lamp and Ali Baba. I was headed to Iraq. My mission: to embed with Southern Baptist chaplains serving in the U.S. military.

This was the type of assignment most journalists crave—reporting from a combat zone. And I was no different. Sure, I’d seen and heard the reports on TV of bombings, attacks and kidnappings. Friends thought I was crazy for wanting to traipse around the desert. But I saw it as a great adventure and knew I had a host of prayer warriors back home interceding for my safety.

At first, I felt like an interloper, camera hanging from my neck, pen and paper always in hand. But all the troops I encountered were friendly and happy to answer my endless barrage of questions. When I offered my thanks for their service and sacrifice, I got the same response: “Just doin’ my job, ma’am. Just doin’ my job.” I am humbled and amazed by the group of men and women who have volunteered to leave their families behind for months at a time and selflessly put themselves in harm’s way.

For 10 days, I made Camp Victory in Baghdad my home. I shadowed chaplains day and night. I am grateful to these godly men who gave me a glimpse into their lives as ministers of the gospel. I saw firsthand the love and compassion they feel for soldiers, airmen, marines and coastguardsmen. I also witnessed the pride and care with which U.S. troops carry out their daily tasks—whether it was patrolling neighborhoods, tending to the wounded or checking IDs at a security gate. They know their actions will make a crucial difference in the lives of Iraqis.

For most Americans, the problems of Fallujah, Kirkuk and Mosul seem very distant. As one chaplain put it, “we are a military at war and a nation at the mall.” Americans have short attention spans, and as the economy tops the headlines at home we would do well not to forget that there’s still 134,000 of our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, and husbands and wives in Iraq. And they are doing everything they can every day to make sure those of us back home are safe.

I am often reminded how precious are our freedoms and liberties here in the states. I choke back tears every time I pull into my parents’ driveway and see the yellow-faded ribbon on the mailbox. The faces of Chaplains Pat Hash, Jeff Houston, Kent Coffey and countless others flood my mind. Their lives have made an indelible impression on me.

Editor’s Note: This issue is a tribute to military chaplains and the men and women they serve. Today in Iraq and Afghanistan, the military depends on chaplains to provide spiritual care for our troops. In this issue you’ll read how chaplains are bringing God to the soldiers and soldiers to God.

Be sure and go to www.onmission.com for more articles about chaplains serving in Iraq. See their faces and hear them in their own words. To read more about my personal experiences while on the field, visit onmissionmagazine.blogspot.com.

Carol Pipes, editor of On Mission, spent two weeks in Iraq reporting on the work of military chaplains.