OPERATION DESERT STORM

Tip of the Spear

AFEW MINUTES PAST ELEVEN on the night of February 23, 1991, Lieutenant Bill Delaney gave the order, “Driver, move out!” Within an hour, the five M-60 tanks of Delaney’s platoon crossed the Kuwaiti border. The First Platoon, Delta Company, Third Tank Battalion, led by Delaney, was the “tip of the spear,” leading the 7th Marines’ assault into the teeth of the Iraqi defense network. Within hours, Delaney’s tanks hit the first enemy minefield and formed into a column to negotiate a cleared lane. Red Three, the only tank in the platoon fitted with a mine plow, led the column. During this perilous phase the “tip of the spear” was down to one tank. A few hours later, still in the lead, the tanks and men of First Platoon had to fight their way through the second Iraqi defense line, against more mines, tanks, artillery, and troops in bunkers.

During my time in combat, I was often impressed with the critical role played by a few particular men. On several occasions, my company was dependent on one point-man leading a column of two hundred Marines into enemy territory. An artillery battery had to rely on one forward observer to find targets and direct their fire. Like Lieutenant Delaney, these men were at the focal point of the action, and justifiably considered the “tip of the spear.”

There are individuals in critical positions in every organization who deserve special attention. The checkout clerks, the front-desk personnel, and the sales staff, all meet the public and form the relationships vital to the success of every business. In the church, we often think of the minister in this role and overlook the critically important role of the laypeople. The members of the church are the ones who get to know the visitors and who are active in the world outside the church—where the gospel message needs to be taken. They have the relationships that can open doors to sharing the gospel and the opportunity to be the most effective ambassadors for Christ, at the tip of God’s great spear.