Portions of the famed 82nd Airborne will be replacing TF (Task Force) Guam throughout the country as our SecFor (Security Force).
I am thrilled to have the 82nd guys here. I have always been partial to the 82nd since my brother's time in the Army, so I naturally gravitate toward them.
There are some complaints of cockiness, which might be expected of a prestigious unit like the 82nd, but I also see the soldiers marked by competence as a result of their superb training.
Embedded in these impressions of this great unit is the natural divide that occurs between reservists and active duty soldiers. Active duty soldiers generally don't consider reservists to be real soldiers, and reservists can resent that impression.
The reality is that both components of the Army are vital. Especially with regards to combat, there is no comparison between AD soldiers and reservists. The job of units like the 82nd is to win battles and secure battle space. Since this is their full-time job, they excel in this role.
Reservists tend to consist more of white-collar professionals. They bring expertise from civilian jobs into the military and turn the vital supply/logistics portion of war into a finely-tuned enterprise.
The usage of the Reserves is also a signal to the American people that a given conflict will not be simple or short. Thus, we must draw upon our civilian workforce to complete the mission. This helps the American people weigh the necessity, validity, and long-term viability of a conflict.
The 82nd is also tends to be a training ground for Special Forces (SF). Thus, you will find a much higher percentage of hardcore soldiers, but with that comes the false measurement of manhood by hardcore accomplishments (Ranger tabs, SF school, etc).
The chaplain of the portion of the 82nd at my post is a young Anglican priest who has served at a church in DC over the last seven years. He used to have some aspirations for the SF, but was turned off by the some of the elitism associated with that pursuit, including by chaplains who seemingly forget that their primary call is to serve soldiers, regardless of unit, rather than to be amongst the most "hooah" of soldiers.
This is a good reminder to me as well to constantly due an "oil check" on my motivations. If I want to do SF in the future, it must be done fundamentally to bring glory to God by shepherding believers and reaching out to unbelievers and caring for soldiers in general. It must not be for pride. If I truly love this calling, I must be as joyful in serving the sustainment brigade as much as the Ranger battalion. Ultimately, this will always be an identity in Christ issue. If we don't find our identity in Christ, we will seek our identity elsewhere and never be satisfied with the results.
