Serving Country in a War Zone

Nothing is off limits.

That’s what Jon Nordin (’00) assured his audience when he returned to Overlake to discuss the role of U.S. military forces fighting insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Nordin, who served multiple tours in those countries, is now retired from the U.S. Army as an Airborne Ranger. His decision to join the military is similar to thousands of young men and women who had just witnessed the 9/11 terrorist attack. He was a student at Vanderbilt University. “My parents convinced me to finish school, but I signed up for ROTC the next week. After graduation, I took off the gown and put on my military uniform and took my oath and was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army. I was off to war a year and a half later,” recalls Nordin. 

Nordin opened his talk with America’s role in the region, the counter insurgency effort, and roadblocks to success. He says that while agencies like the state department, CIA, NSA and other political powers are tasked with fixing the problem, it’s the military that does the heavy lifting. ““Even if the government thinks it has the way to conduct the counter insurgency, for better or worse, the military is always entwined in every single aspect of it,” explained Nordin when he outlined the U.S. role in the region. 

The audience questions were a mix of policy and personal. Nordin offered his opinion on winning the hearts and minds in Afghanistan. He concluded, “Part of my tactical work was building wells, paying teachers, and meeting with Mullahs. We know fighting fire with fire just makes it worse so I think we have to keep going back to diplomacy in a manner that’s bringing more positivity.”