From the Archives: 2009

Written by Len Blevins

Special Forces used to be known as the “quiet professionals.”  Back when I got started, it was hard to recruit for SF because no one knew about it.  Our main job was to train armies in other countries.  A lot of people think of Rambo when they think of Special Forces, but that hardly describes me.

  After doing well in school while growing up in Wilkes County, I knew the only way my family could afford to send me to college was on a full scholarship, so I applied for one through ROTC.  The fact that I got that scholarship was something of a miracle.  I remember being asked the question, “If you don’t get this scholarship, will you still go into ROTC?”  I had to reply, “No”.  The truth was that if I didn’t get the scholarship I would be limited to attending the local community college where there was no ROTC program.  I didn’t figure that was the answer the recruiters wanted to hear, but I must have impressed them with my honesty because I got the scholarship.  

The next 4 years were spent at Campbell University.  From there I went directly into the Army.  This was the late 70s, a time when there were lots of problems with drugs and alcohol in the Army.  I wasn’t into that so it was a difficult time.  As a consequence, I decided to pursue Special Forces.  That was a much better fit.  I got to lead a 12-man team of the best soldiers in the world.  

It was while I was in the service that I met Terrie, who would later become my wife.  After meeting her, I never dated anyone else again. We dated for 2 years, during which time I was often deployed for months at a time with absolutely no contact.  I was in Morocco for 6 months, came home and proposed, left for 6 weeks in Texas, came home and gave Terrie a ring and then went back to Morocco for 6 more weeks.  When I returned home the next time we got married.  

My service in the armed forces has taken me to Egypt, Panama and Germany as well as posts here in the United States. I tried to retire after 20 years as a Lt. Colonel but the army wasn’t ready to let me go.  I ended up staying on for another 6 years so that when I did retire I did so as a full colonel.  It turned out to be a very good thing because the higher pay grade has allowed me the financial freedom now to serve God with my time.

I’ve always been very active in the church.  I never went through a rebellious phase.  I’ve never tasted alcohol in my life.  I accepted the Lord at Vacation Bible School when I was 11 and was baptized, but I think I did it as much out of tradition as anything.  The real defining moment of my spiritual life came when I was 16 and was involved in a hunting accident that resulted in my best friend being killed.  That experience caused me to turn to God.  Only God could understand what I was going through.  He was the only one I could talk to and my only source of comfort.  I spent a lot of solitary time in prayer after that tragic accident.  That was when my relationship with God became personal.  

After that, even while stationed in other countries, I would find a local church where I could worship.  During those times I have seen God work in people’s lives in amazing ways.  In Panama, I saw a friend whose life was radically changed when he came to Christ.  In Germany, a woman in our church called us for prayer.  Her husband had tried to asphyxiate himself in his car but was unsuccessful.  Afterward, he turned to Christ and went from sad and gloomy to being totally committed to Christ.  My greatest joy comes from seeing God work through people.  

My background in Special Forces uniquely prepared me for international Christian relief.  After retirement, I applied to Samaritan’s Purse to provide help in emergencies.  Shortly afterward they called me to be head of security in Sudan.  It was a perfect fit of experience and need.  I spent a whole year on that assignment.  After I returned to Boone, I was asked to set up a security program for all of SP’s projects.  Finally, I am back to the original plan—to be involved in emergency relief, to be actively involved in my local church and to continue to experience the joy that comes from seeing God work through people.