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By Charlotte Graham
Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer
October 6, 2001
Even if he wanted to forget his past, the Rev. Tim Muse would have a
tough time doing it these days.
The recent terrorist attacks on New York and Washington and talk of a
pending war bring back memories of his years as a fighter pilot during Operation
Desert Storm, memories of lives lost and battles won.
"I spent many hours in prayer," he says, reminiscing. "I
was in a pretty stressful environment.
"Sometimes we were up all day and could only get from two to three
hours of sleep. I spent two of my three hours in prayer. It was like that during
the whole war."
Pastor of Brandon Presbyterian Church, Muse received an honorary
discharge on
Aug. 1, 2001. He acknowledges that he had a number of close calls during
the
war. Once, he and his co-pilot were in direct line of fire but were not
hit.
He credits God for their miraculous escape. He now realizes that God had
spared him for a reason. God was preparing him for another battle, he
says.
"The battles I fought in Desert Storm were aviation battles,
maintaining air
superiority and defending the interests of the nation," he says,
"whereas the
battles I fight here in the church are to set forth the superiority of
Christ, of his righteousness, and to basically defend the gates of the
kingdom of God and (fend off the devil's) advance against the kingdom of
God." Muse, who became an ordained minister five years ago, was called to the
pastorate of Brandon Presbyterian Church on Aug. 6, 2000. He served as
an
associate pastor in Kosciusko before coming to Brandon.
A native of Winston-Salem, N.C., Muse and his wife, Paige, have four
children
Morgan, 8; Mark, 6; Michael, 2: and Matthew, 9 months. They moved to
Mississippi so Muse could attend Reformed Theological Seminary in
Jackson. On
graduating, Muse decided to stay.
The truth told, Muse says he felt a calling to the ministry much earlier
in
life, even before he joined the Navy. "I have always sought to find
the way
and walk in the faith," he explains. "But even though I sensed
God's guidance
years ago, I felt I was not ready. I wasn't living the life I
should."
When he got himself together and on the right path, he knew it was time
for
him to surrender to the call of God.
Family and friends didn't understand. Here he was, a highly decorated
war
veteran who could have lived a prosperous lifestyle flying jets, who
could
have become a "top gun" instructor at pilot school, and who
could even have
enrolled in the nation's space program. He gave it all up to become a
minister.
"I give it all up because I believe in what I'm doing," Muse
says with a
smile. "I was a weapons officer when I served as a naval officer.
The weapons
I used were air-to-air missiles. Now the weapon I use is the word of
God.
"I did what I did in the Navy for the same reasons I'm doing what
I'm doing
today for peace."
The conflict in the Persian Gulf began on Aug. 2, 1990. When talks
between
representatives from Iraq and Kuwait failed to solve grievances over oil
pricing, Iraqui President Saddam Hussein sent his army to invade Kuwait.
The small, defenseless country was no match for the invaders; Iraqi
soldiers
moved in and brutalized Kuwait's people. On the day of Kuwait's
invasion,
then-President George Bush immediately placed an economic embargo
against
Iraq, followed by similar sanctions by the United Nations Security
Council.
On Aug. 7, after Hussein refused to remove his troops from Kuwait, Bush
ordered the start of Operation Desert Shield with hopes of liberating
Kuwait
and forcing the aggressors back to Iraq. In late August the president
signed
an order authorizing members of the armed forces reserves to be called
up for
active duty. Throughout the campaign, Air Force Reserve and Air National
Guard members flew and maintained aircraft for strategic and tactical
airlifts, fighter and reconnaissance operations and tanker support.
"I was one of those who was in that war from the start to the
finish," says
Muse, as he sorts through his war memorabilia. "It was one of the
scariest
things I've ever been confronted with, but yet one of the most exciting
things I've ever done."
He pulls a black flight book from a shopping bag full of his war
treasures.
"What's important here is what's written in green ink," he
says, pointing to
logs in the book. "That represents my flight time."
Muse, who was trained to fly an F-14 Tomcat, had 179 hours of flight
time
during the war.
The F-14, which is slowly being phased out of the military, holds a
pilot and
radar-intercept officer (RIO). It can land on an aircraft carrier,
defend the
fleet and intercept enemy planes. The F-14 has a camera enabling visual
target identification at more than 30 miles and has bombing
capabilities.
Muse, who was a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, served as an RIO during a
"vital
combat reconnaissance mission" on Feb. 21, 1991. The mission
gathered
critical photographic coverage of enemy positions in Kuwait City and was
used
to plan the coalition ground attack three days later.
The pictures also were used by combat pilots to destroy three enemy
anti-aircraft positions and six tanks that had been positioned
throughout
northwestern Kuwait. During the mission, his aircraft came under direct
targeting by a missile and intense fire from anti-aircraft artillery in
Kuwait City.
In awarding him the Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Vice Adm. R. Kohn
wrote
that Muse's "extraordinary warfare skills allowed him to defeat the
threat
and return with 100 percent coverage of all targets. Lt. Muse's
professionalism and total dedication to duty reflected great credit upon
himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United
States
Naval Service."
During his military career, Muse also served as a fighter pilot. He
received
five medals and several ribbons from the war, but it's the Navy
Commendation
that he's proudest of.
Like most Americans, Muse continues to monitor the day-to-day
developments of
the nation's battle against terrorism.
Although he's now discharged, Muse says he would be willing to serve his
country again if asked. "Because of the oath we take as a military
officer, I
am an American fighting man. Basically, I fight to protect my country.
"The last oath I took was that I will serve my God and country and
fight to
do what I can to protect the principles on which this country was
founded,
which I believe to be biblical principles."
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