I want to take a time out from all this political in-fighting and focus on the real fighting. The real wars.

Actually, I want to take a minute to reflect on a real hero who’s sponging all the political flap and keeping sanity alive. He’s a model of leadership. He’s a model of humility. He’s a model of perseverance. He’s a model American. His strategic successes have saved a war from the depths of historical failure, and with that may one day tell of yet another great American moment. He is General David Petraeus.

“Petraeus fights time, enemy in Afghanistan.”

Perhaps after the revelations from Bob Woodward’s latest book, Obama’s Wars, that title might have an entirely different meaning than the AP article from which it’s pulled intended to describe. The enemy seems to be time itself. He’s got a deadline that’s not feasible, lacks the resources he (collectively) asked for, and now apparently works under a president who’s not 100 percent behind his mission.

Americans are impatient at best, especially when faced with incredible uncertainty, challenging odds and amplified pressure from every source imaginable. But this man just won’t break. While we’re over here with swords drawn looking for blood over campaign races, he’s over there facing the men who want to kill us and end our ability to have such discourse.

And his demeanor? Calm, collected, studious and straight-forward. This is a man we can learn from.

The word’s already on the street that July 2011 is a “WINO” (withdrawal-in-name-only) date, but that doesn’t mean anyone is handing out hall passes. Arguably, the political pressure is even higher. After a media stunt debacle brought down his then-subordinate General Stanley McChrystal, Petraeus has had to keep a steady eye on the mission while avoiding any public missteps waiting to be exploited by those who want to see the entire mission fail. And this is in addition to swallowing what must be a mountain of ire to walk into a potential political graveyard not unlike the one he faced in Iraq in too-recent memory.

Or perhaps the acceptance of his current post as commander in Afghanistan came with some much needed vindication. President Obama’s decision to put General Petraeus directly in charge of the Afghanistan mission was symbolic in more ways than the president cares to admit.

For one, it was a reluctant admission that the surge worked, something of which that we’re not going to have an official acknowledgement until Republicans have enough of a majority to pass the resolution that’s still floating around. For another, it meant that Petraeus has more in mind than simple career aspirations. He has a responsibility to the men and women, or rather, the country that he serves to give them the best possible chances for success that he can, and he takes that very seriously. If that means stepping down to get his hands dirty again, so be it. Unlike the president, he’s in it for the long haul and truly understands what our commitments are.

I am inspired by leaders like General Petraeus. I am inspired and relieved, actually. While Iraq may not have been popular and Afghanistan is still a looming question that may have an answer soon, the end to these type of wars doesn’t seem near. Iran isn’t the only war on the map. We’ve got Yemen, Saudi Arabia and perhaps Sudan perhaps as well.

We committed ourselves to a war against terrorism, and our enemies never sleep. If we didn’t have men like David Petraeus – men who were willing, able and determined like he is – well, I just don’t want to know what that would feel like. Thank God for men like General Petraeus and all our men and women in uniform who are fighting the real fight out there, the one for our security and our freedom.

4 Responses to “What would we do without men like General Petraeus?”