UR, Iraq – The trip to the home of the prophet Abraham had similar effects on four soldiers with the 81st Brigade Combat Team’s 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, all who approached the subject with differing perspectives. I’ll post a few quotes to give you a flavor of what the story will look like.

● Maj. Joe Hammiel of Surrey, B.C., the battalion chaplain: "It has been awe-inspiring to look up and know that those are the same stars (that God promised Abraham his descendents would outnumber.)"

● Sgt. 1st Class Allen Ashworth of Deer Park, a student of ancient Near East history: "It put a tangible handle on book learning and theory. Walking the grounds was a profoundly emotional experience. It added a real touch to everything I’ve read."

● Sgt. Jacob Harrington of Bellevue, a Conservative Jew: "It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that had a major impact on me. The history of the place, the fact that Abraham was born here, was amazing. It was profound. I never thought I’d step foot in the places where the patriarch of Judaism stepped foot in."

● Sgt. Monty Webb of Gig Harbor, a Christian seminarian: "There are things you can learn in a book. But when you stand in a place of such historical magnitude – not just from a theological standpoint, but a historical one – and the two intertwine, it is indescribable. When the wind blew, it was like feeling the touch of God."