Commentary
My dad was a good man, but for me, his goodness has nothing to do with his work at the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). In fact, my regard for the professionals at JSOC and the critically important and dangerous missions they execute behind the scenes produces powerfully mixed feelings for me. That’s because, in addition to reverence and respect, I also felt jealous loathing for JSOC for 37 years.
I was 10 years old when my family moved to Fort Bragg, North Carolina in 1982. Prior to that, I had spent time with dad in Indian Guides; he had coached my soccer team when we lived in Germany in the fourth grade, and I have other fond early childhood memories of him. But that all changed soon after moving to Fayetteville, North Carolina. He was gone excessively, and from my perspective, this continued until his death in 2012. I knew three things: dad worked for JSOC, he had an important and sensitive job, and he enjoyed his work….