Across the span of almost three decades I've served in a couple different public safety positions. I've been a police officer, a fireman and worked on a county Rescue Squad / Ambulance. The one thing I've noticed across the span of time is that the work we performed was, to some extent, taken for granted.
Sure, there have been times when I've had a citizen walk up, shake my hand and say, "Thank you," but those times are few and far between. Don't get me wrong: I'm not crying in my coffee. Most people who do public safety work understand up front that it is largely a thankless job. Still, when someone steps up to call attention to the value of the work performed, it's appreciated.
That was how I felt recently when I received an email that was a forward of an email written by LtCol Dave Grossman. Dave Grossman is a retired Army Ranger Lieutenant Colonel and one of today's foremost speakers on the topic of interpersonal violence. The email I received, written by him, read:
To: Our Sheepdog, Our Cops
From: Lt. Col. Dave Grossman
I've got something I need to say to you, and all of your magnificent 'sheepdog' comrades, and it comes from the heart...
Thirty-two years ago, I was a twenty year old buck sergeant in the 82d Airborne Division, spending over half my time on deployment, leaving behind a young wife and two little babies.
Twenty-two years ago I was a company commander in Panama, leaving a wife and three little boys back at home.
Twelve years ago I was wrapping up my military career, deployed every summer and countless weekends and weeks in between, with a wife and teenagers at home.
For the last eleven years I've been on the road, almost 300 days a year, training cops and military. I get home one or two nights a week: conjugal visit, clean underwear, and back on the road again.
For my entire adult life I've spent more time away from my loved ones than I ever spent with them.
And I knew, all they ever had to do, was to pick up the phone and dial three digits, and someone like you would show up to fight and, yes, even die for my loved ones.
And so I need to say something: Thank you.
Thank you, for walking the mean streets during one of the most violent times in history.
Thank you, for going toward the sound of the guns, when everyone else runs away.
Thank you, for being the front-line of defense in the War on Terror.
Thank you, for going in harm's way, every day, that others may live.
Thank you, for watching our back and covering our 'six' when we are overseas.
You should hear those words a lot more often: Thank you.
May God bless you and yours, as you protect and watch over others,
Dave Grossman
Lt Col, USA (ret)
www.WarriorScience.com
Now, for those of you who may not understand or have read any of Dave's teachings, he breaks down our society into three types of people:
- Sheep: those innocent, peaceful people who go about their daily lives, merely seeking to survive and largely oblivious to the world around them or the threats that exist therein.
- Wolves: those predatory, often violent people who prey on all the sheep.
- Sheepdogs: those peace-preferring people who are capable of responding to violence with violence to defend and protect the Sheep from the Wolves.
By our very nature as law enforcement professionals we are Sheepdogs. We are those whom the sheep often prefer not to have around. To some extent they are ashamed of us and they certainly are very watchful because they have a limited trust of us. They don't understand us. Our willingness to walk steadfastly toward violence while they all run away confuses them – even as they are quietly grateful for it. Most of the time they'd prefer for us not to be around. But when the Wolf shows up – as Dave says – one thousand sheep will happily try to hide behind one Sheepdog rather than become the meal for the Wolf.
That Dave takes the time to express his appreciation for the work law enforcement professionals do domestically while another version of the American Sheepdog (our soldiers, Marines, airmen, sailors and coasties) protects and defends sheep around the globe speaks about Dave's character. The words he writes expressing his appreciation are words we should hear daily from the SHEEP of our world – but we won't most of the time.
So I share Dave's words with you here. Print them out and some cold lonely night when you've just accomplished something you should be praised for but that will be largely ignored, pull out that printed sheet and read Dave's words. Know that there are people out there who do appreciate us and what we do.
