I “tweeted” (geez, I can’t believe I have to write that word!) about the above clip yesterday. It was put together by independent filmmaker Danfung Dennis. He was embedded with the US military’s Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Company, as they were dropped 18 km behind enemy lines in the Helmand River Valley in southern Afghanistan earlier this year. My thoughts at the time were focused on the amazing cinematography. However, it is something a commanding officer in the clip says just prior to deploying that really caught my attention.

“Your measures not found in how much time you have on this earth, but what you do with the time you have”.

Now, this won’t make dying under the hot sun any more appealing for a 19 year old Marine or his family, but it is an inspiring rally call and something that we back here in our safe existence could actually benefit from thinking about.

As an aside, Danfung took time out from Afghanistan to film Al Humphreys and Major Phil Packer’s row across the channel in February this year.