By: US Army Colonel (Ret) David J. Giammona
In my tour of duty in Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan, I saw first-hand how our military operates in what it calls asymmetrical warfare, or what it calls “hearts and minds” operations. At its very root, asymmetrical warfare, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “is between opposing forces which differ greatly in military power and that typically involves the use of unconventional weapons and tactics (such as those associated with guerrilla warfare and terrorist attacks.”
Without a doubt, the years we spent in Iraq and Afghanistan would be called asymmetrical, meaning it is not linear like in World War I or II. In those wars, there were front and rear lines of demarcation; in other words, at the front line, combat operations were taking place, and in the rear, supply lines, rest, and recuperation were taking place. Not so any longer. In asymmetrical war, combat is all around, and many times, it is hard to distinguish between the enemy and friendly.
Asymmetrical also means that combat takes many forms and does not always include weapons and firepower, such as in the case of the “hearts and minds” operations. The Army used those types of operations in Vietnam to great success, and I was part of those types of operations in Afghanistan.
What are “hearts and minds” operations? They are simply tactics to win over the population by giving them much-needed supplies such as food, shelter, clothing, and protection from the enemy. An example of that is when we went out to the tribes in Afghanistan and distributed warm clothes and food in winter. The tribal leaders were indeed grateful to us for helping them and their families. We did this on a regular basis, and this won over their “hearts and minds.” This opposed the Taliban, which used brute force, fear, and hardcore military tactics to force them into submission.
The United States military and government know how to use the media and other social media platforms for their own propaganda purposes to influence the American population as well. The CIA has been embedded in Hollywood for years to target certain segments of the population. It is a well-known fact that the Uncle Sam ads during World War II brought in hundreds of millions of dollars to the war effort along with millions of recruits and needed resources such as rubber, steel, and other war materials.
In our book, The Military Guide to Disarming Deception, Troy Anderson and I have an entire chapter called “The Hollywood Deception,” in which we write about how we are all being groomed by the media to accept a one-world government, digital currency, the end of the world, possible alien invasions, and host of other events coming upon the planet. Do not underestimate the power of the media to persuade people to accept the new norms of culture. Just look at that influence in the last pandemic and then think about how it will be in the future as they “program” us to group think as in George Orwell’s book 1984.
We, as believers, must understand that the spiritual and cultural wars we find ourselves in are asymmetrical; that is, they are all around us shooting at us from every direction. That is why it is imperative that we become battle-ready and prepare not only ourselves but those we serve in our congregations. I once interviewed Dr. Robert Jeffress, pastor of 1st Baptist Church of Dallas, TX. I asked him this question: “What do you think of pastors who are not preparing their people for these end times and the spiritual warfare that surrounds us?” His answer was extraordinary: “Colonel, I say they should be sued for spiritual malpractice.”
I firmly believe that we have time, however brief it may be, in order to teach, preach, exhort, and educate our people through the Word of God to understand and prepare for the events that will surely take place.
David J Giammona
President Battle Ready Ministries
Cell: 931-249-9206
US Army Colonel, Retired Author/Speaker
Web: https://davidjgiammona.com/
Web: https://battle-ready.org/
Twitter: DavidGiammona@GiammonaDavid
Chaplain (COL) David Giammona, U.S. Army Ret., is an end-time expert, scholar, author, writer, and speaker. He retired from the Army in June 2018 after 32 years of military service in the Army. His last assignment was the Installation Management Command (IMCOM) in San Antonio, Texas, where he was responsible for religious support on all 75 Army installations worldwide. He had oversight and administrative responsibility for over 1,000 chaplains and others, along with several thousand volunteers.
Giammona was the strategic advisor to a 3-Star Commanding General and the chief executor for the Chief of Chaplains to deliver world-class spiritual support services. Upon his retirement, President Donald Trump, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, Pastor Rick Warren, New York Times bestselling author Max Lucado, and others sent him letters to express their appreciation for his service to his country.
An ordained Assemblies of God minister since 1988, the Colonel, has dedicated his life in retirement to writing and speaking with a focus on preparing the church and warning the world about the end times.
His education includes a Master of Divinity, Golden Gate Baptist Seminary, Master of Science in Counseling – Marriage/Family Therapy, Columbus State University, and a Master of Strategic Studies (MSS) at the Army War College.
His Army assignments include four years in the Pentagon as the Personal Assignments Officer for the Chief of Chaplains, three tours of combat duty in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia, and extensive travel throughout the world as a trainer, mentor, and coach to the military.
Generals and fellow chaplains and colonels who served with Giammona describe him as a “heavy hitter” with “gravitas,” a “servant leader” who could “help lead through tough situations,” and a chaplain and Colonel chosen for this position because of his “compassion, his skills, and his love of God and country.” “He was well-liked and very well respected among people at IMCOM,” says retired U.S. Army Major. Gen Warren Patterson. “IMCOM was the headquarters of about 600-700 people, and he reached out to them. He had the utmost respect of everybody there. His staff absolutely loved him because he cared about them.
His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Global War on Terror Service Medal, and Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. Giammona is a native of Sacramento, California. He and his wife Esther have been married for 39 years and have three adult children: Micah, Catarina, and Melissa. They are married and serving Christ. Giammona and Esther also have three grandchildren: Isaac, Michael, and Eva. Col. Giammona and Esther live at their home on the 46-acre Warrior Refuge near Columbus, Georgia.
In his free time, the world-class motivational speaker enjoys playing the saxophone, working out, hunting, and reading. He has an extensive background in music and graduated with a degree in saxophone performance from Sacramento State University. He performs at churches and other venues.
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