Goodbye to a Soldier and a Statesman (General Colin Powell)

Many years ago, as a young soldier in the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force , I was a pretty good shooter. So one day while returning from the shooting range, an older soldier engaged me in a conversation.

He first stated "young soldier, it looks like we can count on you to hit the target'. My response was "yes you can''.

He then said "this is good, however, the key question is that now you know that you can hit the target, do you know when not to?...... Sometimes the ability to shoot accurately, can be a hindrance to the discretion that is required to best understand and respect the nature of your circumstances".

I never forgot that advice.

We in the military profession, referred to him as the "reluctant warrior'.

General Powell was perhaps the most consequential modern-day 'Soldier-Statesman'….to which I can only try to hopefully emulate.

He was never too hurry to go to war, but once at war, he was no less brilliant at it.

In fact, he was/is the epitome of my conversation with that older soldier so many years ago.

He was a champion of discretion...he had an extraordinary sense of when, and why, not to shoot.

RIP Sir!