Christian militia leader recruits ‘patriotic as hell’ former Texas Marine to fight ISIS in Iraq

Brett (R), a 28-year-old US national who fights jihadists of the Islamic State (IS) group alongside Dwekh Nawsha, a Christian militia whose name is an Assyrian-language phrase conveying self-sacrifice, shakes hands of a passer-by on February 5, 2015, in the northern Iraqi town of Al-Qosh, located 35 km north of Mosul. The foreign contingent fighting IS is tiny compared to the thousands of foreigners who have joined the jihadist group, but interest is growing and 20 more volunteers already lined up to join. AFP PHOTO / SAFIN HAMED less Brett (R), a 28-year-old US national who fights jihadists of the Islamic State (IS) group alongside Dwekh Nawsha, a Christian militia whose name is an Assyrian-language phrase conveying self-sacrifice, shakes ... more Photo: SAFIN HAMED, Getty Images Photo: SAFIN HAMED, Getty Images Image 1 of / 96 Caption Close Christian militia leader recruits ‘patriotic as hell’ former Texas Marine to fight ISIS in Iraq 1 / 96 Back to Gallery

A former U.S. soldier, known only as “Brett,” has a tattoo of thorn-crowned Jesus on one arm and a machine gun on the other, and he’s returned to Iraq with a Christian militia to squash the efforts of terrorist group Islamic State.

The 28-year-old man served in the U.S. Army in Baghdad between 2006 and 2007 and is now a leading fighter in the Dwekh Nawsha Christian militia, according to the Daily Mail. He is based in Al-Qosh, whose mostly Christian population has fled to Kurdistan after ISIS fighters threatened their homeland.

ISIS never captured Al-Qosh, but the threat remains as people continue to flee the town.

Many Western fighters have been recruited to help fight this cause, but many die from the violent battlegrounds and suicide bombers.

Brett’s first recruit was a man from Texas, Louis Park, who is a retired former U.S. Marine.

“I did not adjust well at peace time. I wanted to get back out there,” Park told the Daily Mail.

Park was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, among other things, after serving in Afghanistan. He said he began saving money in October in order to join the fight against ISIS.

“I’m patriotic as hell,” he said. “If my government won’t fight them, I will.”

Brett, the self-described crusader, has also recruited other foreign fighters in the war effort against ISIS.

“One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. But here we’re actually fighting for the freedom of the people here to be able to live peaceably, to be able to live without persecution, to keep the church bells ringing,” Brett said at the militia stronghold in Dohuk.

For him, he wants Christians to be able to live in Iraq in peace and he’s willing to go to war to protect their religious freedom.

twhite@mysa.com

Twitter: @tylerlwhite