Military ‘sheep dogs’ protect America’s ‘flock’

U.S. Army Lt. Col. (retired) David Grossman, speaks at the National Prayer Breakfast April 21, 2015, on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. Grossman spoke of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Sandy Hook massacres, post traumatic stress, and the sacrifices individuals make. Grossman, a former Army Ranger, travels almost 300 days a year, teaching elite military and law enforcement organizations worldwide about the reality of combat and is the author of "On Combat," "Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill," and "On Killing." (U.S. Air Force photo by Russ Meseroll/Released)

Published April 24, 2015
By Airman 1st Class Joshua King
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J -- This year's National Prayer Breakfast offered a unique opportunity to Team MDL community members with a message from resiliency expert, retired Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, at Tommy B' Community Activities Center, April 21, here.

The author, former U.S. Military Academy professor and Army Ranger, spoke about the importance of what he calls "the bulletproof mind" to the future of the military and the nation.

Resiliency is key to having a bulletproof mind, Grossman said. Military members should condition themselves to handle and cope with the stressful situations they face each day and to overcome them.

As part of his theory, Grossman uses the metaphor of sheep, wolves and sheep dogs. The sheep being the average person, living their life with no interest in violence; the wolves being the predators who want to cause violence; and the sheep dogs are those who protect the sheep from the wolves.

According to Grossman, 98 percent of people in the world are sheep, one percent are wolves, and the remainder are sheep dogs protecting the flock.

He compares sheep dogs to today's service members. Service members raise their right hands to protect this nation, they are sheep dogs, he said.

"Nobody in the Armed Forces is in it for the money," said Grossman. "They're in because they're sheep dogs. The wolf lives to destroy, the sheep dog lives to protect. The wolf will use a sheep as a human shield; the sheep dog is a human shield for the lambs"

"I live to protect the flock from the wolf," he continued.

Thus the importance of sheep dogs, or military members, having a bulletproof mind.

And they do, "about eight percent (of our service members) come home with PTSD, but we're darn good at treating it," said Grossman.

Grossman then told the story of a soldier at the Battle of the Bulge who stopped a fleeing American tank.

This soldier stood on the side of the road with a weapon on his back and a rifle over his shoulder. He put up his hand to stop the tank and convinced the driver to return to the line.

"Are you looking for a safe place?" Grossman quoted the soldier. "Well get behind me because I'm airborne and this is as far as the Nazis are getting."

"For the rest of your lives you will be faced with people fleeing from tyranny and terrorism, and you have the responsibility, the mission to ask if they are looking for a safe place and tell them to get behind me," said Grossman. "I am the United States Air Force, the United States Army, I am the United States of America."

Though his story is 70 years in the past, his message rings true in today's military. Resilience among sheep dogs is as important today as in the days of World War II and is vital to the efficacy of our nation's military.

In keeping with the day's event, Grossman reminded the audience that spirituality, regardless of religion, is a pillar in maintaining resilience.

"It's very hard to be the sheep dog without the great shepherd."

"The single greatest factor in resiliency is faith," Grossman continued. "Whatever your faith is, at the hour of need do not neglect your faith. It will sustain us, it will carry us. If we turn to God in our hour of need, he will uplift us and sustain us."