The close of a year and the beginning of another is always a time when many of us look back on the year that has past and look forward to the year to come. For the Armed Services community of this country, 2009 has been marked by more casualties in Afghanistan ”” those who have died and those who now face life in a very different way as a result of injuries. For the families of these Service personnel, bereavement brings a sense of loss that is sometimes almost unbearable. Many new challenges lie ahead for those whose loved ones have returned with life-changing injuries. For some of our Service families, a look back into 2009 is a painful experience and the future is tinged with sadness and challenge. For others, there will be the joy that a loved one has returned safely from deployment.
One thing that is constant is the dedication and commitment shown by the personnel of all our Armed Services. This is something for which all should be thankful and which merits our unstinting support.
Recent visits to naval and army training establishments have brought me into contact with young men and women who were keen to talk about the new skills they were acquiring and whose commitment to their training is a source of inspiration.
A good message from +Moth. We hear a great deal about the sacrifice of those service personnel who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan, but very little mention is made about the many thousands of young men and women who have returned from theater suffering from horrific injuries that will have a devastating effect on their lives and those of their loved ones, for the rest of their lives. Medical support has become so advanced that soldiers suffering the most catastrophic wounds – injuries that in any other conflict would have caused their death – now survive. While we rightly mourn those who have died in the service of their country, it is those with catastrophic, life-altering wounds, and their families, who most need our prayers and every consideration our nation can provide them. Please pray for them daily and ask your rectors to include them in corporate prayer of your parish.