Annie’s Ink-Lings
If you are at all interested in:
a. the transformation of a rebellious life to that of a transformed life in Jesus;
b. in what life is like for a Navy SEAL;
c. what it is like to train to be a Navy SEAL;
d. what it is like to make tough decisions regarding career vs. the call of God on your life; . . .
. . . then you need to read this autobiography by Chad Williams, ex-Navy SEAL. His writing is not polished, as this was his first attempt to author a book. However, his story is for real and well worth reading.
Chad was a typical California kid who became a skateboarding star at a young age. As he became older, he set his sights on becoming a Navy SEAL. Despite his parents’ opposition, his dad supported him by hiring Scott Helvenston, ex-Navy SEAL. to physically train Chad to be ready for enlisting with the SEALs. The name Scott Helvenston may ring a bell, since he was one of the youngest to join the Navy SEALs at age 17. He became well known for the infamous incident in Fallujah, Iraq, when he and three other security contractors were brutally killed on March 31, 2004. Their bodies were set on fire, dragged through the streets, and then hung from a bridge.
Days before Chad was to report to military duty, he turned on a television and was greeted with the horrifying images of Scott being brutally murdered in a premeditated ambush on the street of Fallujah. Steeled in his resolve to become a SEAL, Chad followed in Scott’s footsteps and completed the US military’s most difficult and grueling training to become a Navy SEAL. One of only 13 from a class of 173 to make it straight through to graduation, Chad served his country on SEAL Teams One and Seven for five years, completing tours of duty in the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Iraq.
After going through the brutal training, he continued his partying lifestyle. He went with his parents to a Harvest Crusade as ruse so his friends could move a keg in the garage. The crusade was by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, a Southern Baptist Church, where Chad surrendered his life to the Lord. His conversion with Pastor Laurie led to a radical shift in his life. There is a chapter on him being picked on and physically assaulted by members of his platoon. It reminds us that being a Christian light in the military sometimes is its own war zone for a Christian. His tour in Iraq was mentioned only towards the end of the book.
Chad shares how his experiences as a SEAL helped him better understand Christ's love and sacrifice. He is now in full time ministry.
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