America's Memory

“Because God wants me to kill bad people.” Mark Forester said that as if it were as normal as anything. He said it many times when asked why he chose to join the fight against terrorism. He never meant it as a flippant or cavalier statement, but one of fortitude and calling. Friends and family knew that once he made up his mind, he couldn’t be convinced otherwise. As a United States Air Force Combat Controller (CCT), Forester’s conviction made him a determined warrior. He was the “new guy” during the first mission of his first deployment to Afghanistan in May 2010. Everyone’s typically concerned about that new guy wondering if he’ll perform under pressure or make a mistake. Trust is a valuable commodity during combat and Forester hadn’t yet the opportunity to earn that trust. In Dalton Fury’s book, Kill Bin Laden, he refers to another CCT in this way: “Most important in this business was his willingness to risk everything for his fellow man, an unhealthy but common trait among Air Force combat controllers.”2