As the Delta Force special ops team flew into Caraccas to capture Nicolas Maduro last week, heavy gunfire erupted from the ground, wounding the pilot in the lead Chinook helicopter three times. Instead of flinching in pain and diverting to safety, he stayed at the controls and delivered the Delta team to the compound where they would soon capture Maduro.

Bleeding from his wounds, this courageous pilot then lifted his 50,000-pound helicopter back into the air and flew his aircrew safely back to the U.S. Navy’s amphibious assault ship, the USS Iwo Jima. Only then did he release the controls and slump into the care of the hospital corpsmen who rushed him to the sick bay. He is now recovering in a Navy hospital.

This pilot is part of an elite network of “special ops” personnel who endure the military’s most rigorous training and repeatedly put their lives on the line to protect our country. The danger they face does not end when they leave the battlefield, however.

They see and do things that wound the soul, so they often battle post-traumatic stress disorder. Their families also take a hit, not only from long deployments but also from the stress that comes home from the battlefield. If these wounds are not healed, they can fester into addiction, divorce and even suicide.

God has given RW360 the privilege to help heal some of those wounds and strengthen many of these families. Since 2020, we have been providing training to chaplains at military bases around the world. Several of these bases serve as training centers for special ops teams, including the Army’s 1^st Special Forces Group and the Air Force’s 1^st, 24^th and 27^th Special Operations Wings.

The chaplains who deploy with these units have told us that our Certified RW Military Chaplain Training provides them with invaluable resources they can use in individual and marriage counseling and base-wide training for military personnel and their families (see Relational Wisdom in the Military).

Combat officers have also praised this training. As one Army Ranger officer put it: “Improved relational skills build a more ready and resilient service member who operates from a peaceful and supportive family life and is able to focus on mission requirements and return safely from the battlefield” (see 15 Ways RW Builds Readiness and Resilience in the Military).

By God’s grace, this training has been approved for the U.S. Army’s Building Strong and Ready Teams Program and the U.S. Air Force’s Strong Bonds Program, and is now expanding to new bases in the U.S. and across the seas. We rejoice that this training is strengthening the military families who sacrifice so greatly as they serve our nation.

I don’t know the brave pilot of the Chinook helicopter, but I do I know two other wounded pilots who stayed at the controls and brought their teams to safety. They weren’t flying combat helicopters, but their missions were spiritually and financially perilous and many people were depending on their courageous leadership.

RH is pastoring a large church that has been flying through a conflict that could have resulted in a crushing church split. He has been wounded repeatedly by false accusations and hostile challenges that would have caused many men to quit.

Drawing on training he received through RW360, he ignored these wounds, resisted the temptation to lash back or cave in and provided a model of humility, wisdom and grace that has inspired the congregation to rally behind him. Nine men have been so inspired by his example that they have stepped forward to be trained by him as future elders.

RW showed similar leadership courage. He got caught in a crossfire between two of his division directors, and before long his entire workforce was poisoned and divided by the toxic culture that saturated their business. He, too, was wounded repeatedly by unfair accusations, challenges and threats to the very life of the organization.

But like the pilot of the Chinook and the pastor of the church, RW did not flinch. Drawing on peacemaking training he received a few years ago, he stayed at the helm of his organization, gave everyone a chance to change course, fired those who refused and brought the rest of his team safely through the turmoil.

His organization is now thriving, but he has gone on to a new calling. He is now one of RW360’s top national conciliators and trainers.

There is one vitally important thing that all three of these men have in common.

They did not wait until the storm erupted to learn how to deal with the wounds and challenges of leadership. They trained diligently long in advance, so when the dangers and threats came upon them, they were already well practiced in the skills they needed to lead their people to safety.

How about you and your family, church or business? Are you ready for the wounds and challenges that conflict can suddenly thrust upon you? If not, please take a few minutes to explore RW360’s live training programs, as well as our customized in-house programs for families, churches, schools, businesses, law firms, universities and seminaries and missions teams.

It would be our honor to equip you to set an example that inspires and protects the people God has placed under your care.

~ Ken Sande

Reflection Questions

1. Who has God placed under your care and influence? Friends? A spouse and children? Coworkers? A church or missions team? Students in a school, college or seminary? Clients threatened with divorce or lawsuits?
2. If relational tensions or conflict struck today, are you prepared to endure wounds, control your reactions and lead those depending on you to safety?
3. One of the greatest storms that can ever hit us is the threat of divorce. Couples that wait until the storm hits often find that it’s too late to develop the skills they need to save their marriages. Couples that strengthen their relational skills during peaceful times are far more likely to emerge from the storm closer than ever. Which group do you want to be in? Which group would your children like to be in?
4. Look at the training options described above. Which one could you begin pursuing today to prepare yourself to lead your family, church or business to safety when conflict strikes?

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© 2026 Ken Sande

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