Liberty Minute May 23 2014

The Afghanistan war didn?t end soon enough to spare the life of Sgt. Maj. Martin Barreras, who died last week after being shot in combat. Barreras spent more than half of his 49 years in the military, serving 22 years in the Army Rangers following five years in the Marines. He was deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan, and took part in missions to Panama and Haiti.

Barreras?s most notable mission, however, was the rescue of Private Jessica Lynch from an Iraqi hospital in 2003.

Lynch, who had no business being in a combat zone, was part of a military convoy that got lost and was ambushed during the early stage of the Iraq invasion.  She and another female soldier, Private Lori Piestawa (a mother of two), were taken by Iraqis to a hospital, where they were given priority treatment for injuries suffered in a collision. They were treated as patients  and Iraqi officials tried to return Lynch to US custody after her friend tragically died from her injuries.

The ?rescue? was an unnecessary military engagement staged for pure propaganda value. Tragically, something similar could be said of most of the missions to which the late Sgt. Maj. Barreras devoted his career.

Let us take back the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.