We Can Beat Them

Image courtesy: Petty Officer 3rd Class Adam Henderson

I wish you could swim
Like the dolphins
Like dolphins can swim
Though nothing
Will keep us together
We can beat them
For ever and ever
Oh we can be heroes
Just for one day

While the David Bowie song "Heroes" is about a couple that meets at the Berlin Wall, I can't help but associate the chorus with heroic men and women who continue the fight for freedom. While every branch of the military honorably serves and sacrifices, the Navy SEAL community continues to distinguish itself as one of America's most reliable, important weapons against evil.

The latest example of bravery and courage was in Somalia, where Special Operations warriors -- possibly including Navy SEALs, according to various reports -- freed American and Danish hostages from the grasp of pirates. Numerous articles said that both hostages were safely rescued during the daring raid, in which nine terrorists were killed and no Americans were killed or wounded.

"This successful hostage rescue, undertaken in a hostile environment, is a testament to the superb skills of courageous service members who risked their lives to save others," Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said in a written statement.

As The Boys of Abbottabad dramatically showed the world in May by killing Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, Navy SEALs are always ready to deploy around the world to fight some of the world's most difficult, crucial battles. Yet it's important to recognize that SEALs, despite unparalleled training, are not terminators. They are men with families who make extraordinary sacrifices to keep us safe.

During recent months, including a tragic August day in Dover, Delaware, I've gotten the chance to meet several members of the SEAL community. What amazes me most, aside from the enormous amount of training and time away from home SEAL families must endure, is how extraordinary things are portrayed as ordinary during the course of a given conversation. While no SEAL would call himself a hero, quietly embodying those traits is clearly part of the job.

During the course of a long war against terrorists, many Americans have openly wondered whether our nation would ultimately be victorious against its enemies. Whenever doubt creeps in, I urge you to think of our Navy SEALs and their families. From Virginia to California, where they live and train, to dangerous places like Afghanistan and Somalia, where they fight, defeat is simply not an option for these warriors, who have been protecting America for 50 years.

To any terrorist thinking of attacking the United States or its citizens: You are no match for our nation's silent superheroes. Whether by air, land, or sea, they are always ready to administer justice, and you'll never see them coming.

Oh we can beat them
For ever and ever
Then we can be heroes
Just for one day

Image courtesy: Petty Officer 2nd Class Anthony Harding