Friday, January 30, 2009

The Soldier's Creed and the end of CIMT


30 Jan 09

Today was the last day of the first "block" of the Chaplain Course. It was called Chaplain Initial Military Trainint (CIMT), and was designed to expose Chaplains to Army protocol, drilling, marching, the uniform, map reading, and the other aspects of Army life designed to make us better Soldiers. [The word Soldier, by the way, is always capitalized out of respect]. I am glad it is over, since we now move on to Chaplain-specific training for the remainder of the course. We will still have PT every day however (and twice-a-day if the drill sergeant is grumpy), since they place a high value on their Chaplains being able to pass the required PT test (necessary to graduate from this course). It feels good to have CIMT behind me. I've enjoyed the training, but it was hard. More importantly, however, is knowing that I've been here 4 weeks now (which means only 8 more to go)! Every day completed is a day closer to going home.

We had a little "Beret Donning" ceremony this morning where we all removed our patrol caps (the one that looks like a baseball hat), and put on our berets. It was sort of symbolic of becomming a Soldier. Up until completion of CIMT, students are not allowed to wear the beret. So it's kind of a big deal now to now be able to wear the beret and look different from the basic traininee Soldiers running around here as well.

Finally, I want to share with you the "Soldier's Creed." We are all expected to memorize this and live it. It goes like this...

----------------------------
The Soldier's Creed:
I am an American Soldier.
I am a warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the United States and I live the Army Values.
I will always place the Mission first.
I will never accept defeat.
I will never quit.
I will never leave a fallen comrade.
I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills.
I always maintain my arms, my equipment, and myself.
I am an expert and I am a professional.
I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.
I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.
I am an American Soldier.
-------------------------------
Amen to that. Hooah!

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Legal and Ethical Day


27 Jan 09

Today we sat through about 6 hours of training from an officer from the JAG (Judge Advocate General) department. He was a young Captain (lawyer), who knew his stuff. No, he did not look like the studly actor who played the main role on the TV show, "JAG" a few years ago, but that's OK. He spoke to us about the Military Code of Justice, the Law of War (there actually is such as thing, including the Geneva Convention), and finally the Army's policy on Homosexuality in the Military. It is rumored that it will change, now that we have a new President. But that remains to be seen. It was interesting to note the discussion on how do we fight fairly against an enemy that does not? It is still the American policy to abide by the laws of War as established long ago.

We also had our first student-led "Field Service" today. We are all on a rotation to do this, but mine is not for another three weeks. Whew! A theme they are drilling in us is the role of the Chaplain to provide for the "free exercise of religion" for all Soldiers as provided by the 1st Ammendment of the Constitution. This does not mean that I have to lead a Jewish or Catholic or Mormon service, but it does mean I have to help them coordinate to get their religious needs met. This might be as simple as reserving a room for the Wicca group, or it might mean calling a Rabbi to come do a Jewish service once a month if possible. In one of our readings the author wrote, "Every human being has the Spark of God and the ability to give warmth and light to others." The Bible says that we are all "created in God's image," so I kind of like that quote.

But back to the Field Service... we have to wear all of our gear. They call this "full battle-rattle," and it's heavy. We also practice just off the parking lot in the tree line (as you can see in the picture). I am finding my own faith strengthened as I listen to and learn from other Chaplains (most of which are also Protestant, but not all). It is interesting to hear the often subtle -- but sometimes blatant -- differences in Theology in my colleagues. For instance, the Chaplain pictured above leading the first field service is from a denomination that believes Christ's body and blood are literally present in the communion bread and wine (or juice, in this case). I do not agree with that as a Southern Baptist, so I chose to not partake in the communion during his field service. The same Chaplain also made the comment about his ability to "absolve me of my sins" due to his position as an odrained minister in his denomination. Again, I do not believe the same things he does (including his ability to forgive my sins), but I have to support his right to have and practice his own faith. Personally, I believe the Lord's Supper is not literal but is "symbolic" of what Christ did on the Cross for you and me, and also I believe only God can forgive our sins (therefore, we need to confess them only to God). No human being has that power or ability, not even the Pope--although my Catholic friends might disagree. So I believe this is going to be a challenging training for me, not just physically, but mentally and spiritually as well.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Go AZ Cardinals!


26 Jan 09

It was a very long day today. We started and ended with exercise. The morning PT consisted of the usual stretching and then a 2 mile run. We ran in group formations based on our times in the first test we took a week or so ago. The fastest in the class are in group A, the next fastest in group B, and so forth down to groups C and D. I am in group C, which means I am not that fast and have room for improvement (but my stamina is good). They will expect me to move up to group B by the end of the Program. Anyway, I felt strong throughout the run, and never had to stop (as many did). But what makes this hard are the hills. Where I live we don't have too many hills, and so this is new territory for me. It's hard, but it's a good workout. After a full day of classroom instruction, and mail-call at 4:45 pm (1645), they told us to be back out at the PT field by 5:20 pm (1720). They put us through a series of wind-sprints on the track for another hour. It was awful! I know a lot of my peers could not finish, it was that challenging. I had to walk a few times, but I stayed with it and huffed air like crazy, and I made it to the end. That felt goood.

As for the mail today... my wonderful family mailed me a new T-shirt. It's the one I'm wearing in the picture: 2008 Conference Champions (AZ Cardinals). Now I have something to wear for the Super Bowl party here this weekend. That was a great gift. Thank you! In the picture you can see my screen saver and all of the cards and letters I have received so far. I am taping them to the wall to decorate my dorm room, so keep 'em coming. I want to fill up that wall! (My address here is listed in a previous blog).


Saturday, January 24, 2009

Answered Prayer




24 Jan 09

I am writing this on a Saturday morning watching the light rain out my dorm window. We ran 2 miles up and back down "Drill Sargeant's Hill" last night around 6:00 pm, and then we were told to return to the PT field at 0600 (am) this morning for another round. This time, however, it was what they call "muscle failure" day, and they meant it! The instructors worked us over good for about 90 minutes already today, in the light rain. It felt like a really tough aerobics class that never ended!

Back at the homefront, my parents leave for a several week trip to Australia today. Many of you know that my dad has been sick, but he feels up to going and has the doctor's blessings to go. So I am praying they have a great time and he feels well the entire trip. Please add them to your prayer list as well. I would appreciate that. And I want to thank everyone who has been praying for me and my family so far. My wife commented that she knows many people are praying for us, and she knows it's helping her and the girls at home. So I am blessed and grateful for everyone who has lifted us up in prayers over these past few weeks. I hope that you will continue to do so for a few more months! Thank you.

The answered prayer mentioned above is the fact that I will be able to come home for the long Valentine's Day weekend next month and spend a few days with family and friends. A number of my peers are doing the same thing, and I have been praying for the ability to pay for another flight home. God answered that prayer when a family member donated frequent flyer miles to me for the trip home and back. I was blown away and almost cried when I heard the news. (And yes, Soldiers do cry!). I can't tell you how awesome it is to know God has your every need in mind, and He loves to meet those needs -- we just need to ask Him!
The pictures above are from our time in the field. The group shot is of an actual "field service" held by a staff Chaplain. They are teaching us how to conduct a similar worship service, because each one of us will be required to come up with a short message and lead a field service before graduation. This is practice for when we are actually with Soldiers in the near future. The key here is brevity, which I like. It feels like a short Bible study lesson, which I enjoy!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Night Infiltration Course (N.I.C. at Night)




1
22-09


We finished up two long and difficult days today by spending it out at the woods again. We all had to pass tests on the material we've been taught, such as First Aid, gas mask usage and decontamination, reading maps, using a compass, and how to assemble and use an Army radio (and send a communication using the phoenetic alphabet when necessary -- that's alpha, bravo, charlie, delta, etc.). It was kind of stressful. Then we learned how to crawl in the dirt under barbed-wire, because they took us to the Night Infiltration Course and actually had us crawl across a 100 yard sand pit while instructors actuallt fired live machine guns over our heads. The bullets were probably 12 feet up, so even if you stood up you'd be safe, but they strongly encouraged us to stay low. It was cool. Explosions were going off and they fired flares into the air to help us all see. We were at this range with a squad of new recruits (Privates), and we followed them into the sand. Their drill instructors were not very nice to them, I can tell you that, and the language was a little more colorful that we had been used to with our instructors! And those poor soldiers had to crawl with their rifles up in their hands -- try that one the next time you go to the beach! That's not easy. I felt sorry for those guys (and glad it was not me). And just like a day at the beach, you come home with sand everywhere. I have to clean my gear this weekend, and I'm sure the sand will be the major issue to deal with.

The first picture is not me, by the way, but this guy found a way to stay warm. The second picture is of a memorial to the "Four Chaplains" who died together on a troop transport ship in WWII. They each gave up their life vests for Soldiers after their ship was hit by a German torpedo. These four Chaplains have been awarded the highest medal a Chaplain can receive, and so their story is a big deal around here.

This coming weekend will mark three completed weeks! It's moving faster than I thought (and yet not fast enough).




Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Land Navigation Day







1-21-09

I was reminded of a word from my old Chemistry classes called an "exo-thermic reaction." Do you remember that term? It stands for a reaction that creates heat. Well, this was significant to me today for two reasons: (1) I enjoyed these little packets you put in your boots and gloves called toes and hand warmers. They fit nicely under your socks or in the palm of your hand, and they give of fheat (for up to 10 hours!). What a wonderful invention. The second exothermic reaction came in the form of our lunches today. We ate what are called "MREs," which stands for Meals Ready to Eat (see picture). And inside the package is a variety of food (see second picture) and a little bag with a chemical in it that reacts to water and heats up. In fact, it gets warm enough to heat your main entree after only a minute in the bag. It was crazy. And they came in many different varieties: I got a grilled chicken breast meal, while others had chili, and fajitas, and pot roast, etc. I'm totally serious. Now, they didn't taste all that fantastic, but it was OK and pretty interesting for my first MRE lunch.

As for the day's events: they dropped us off way out in the woods at 6:30 am in 27 degree temperatures and split us into teams with a map, a compass, and a protractor. We had to plot three points in the woods from the starting point, and then go find them -- using only the compass as a directional guide. I learned a lot in doing this, including that I didn't really like the experience. I don't like being lost in the woods, I guess. And we walked for miles doing it. We then had lunch at mid-day, and then worked on our first aid and some other skills, before another meal (dinner) in the field, and then a return trip to the Night Land Navigation course. In other words, we did the same thing as before, just this time in the dark. We had very few flashlights, and they discouraged us from using them (attracts snipers, we were told). So we fumbled blindly through the woods in the dark. Twice we missed our mark and had to go back and start over. It was very frustrating. We then marched back to the dorms around 9:30 pm. But it's over, and I can say I learned how to do it, and conquered that project.

Tomorrow they test us on much of what we've learned so far, and then teach us to crawl in the sand with live rifle-fire going off over our heads. Should be another long, cold day. And oh, by the way, the hot water has been out in my dorm building for the last three days, so none of us has enjoyed a hot shower for awhile. My wife told me she did not care since I'm sleeping alone!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Land Management and a New President







1-20-09

It was an historic day, as we have a new President as of today. The Chaplain School allowed us a little more free time at lunch today to watch the proceedings on TV, and we prayed for our new Commander in Chief.

It snowed this morning, so we did not have PT before class. However, they made up for it during the late-afternoon PT session. I have never been worked that hard in all my life! Every one of us will be sore tomorrow!

The majority of classroom time today was spent learing how to read a map, use a compass, and navigate through the woods. We will be going out into the woods for real over the next two days to use our new skills. It seems as if they will break us up into small teams (with one instructor each team), and then drop us off in the woods somewhere and have us figure out how to get to a certain point from where we started. I'm pretty excited about this stull, since I've never really done anything like this before. I just hope my toes stay warm tomorrow!

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Reflections


1-17-09

It was the first full Saturday off of the Program, so it should have been a great day... but it was not. I did some laundry and reading for an assignment (we have to write a 3-page paper on the Ethics of an Army Officer due Tuesday), and even went for a run this afternoon, but the day still had a shadow over it. My wife had car trouble at home and a few other household issues that I normally would have taken care of had I been there. But of course, that is impossible right now. So ironically, it was hard on both of us. It was hard to be here knowing I cannot help her back there, if that makes any sense. And Satan has a way of making you think twice about your decisions, especially when it gets hard, and definitely anything having to do with serving the Lord. But I know where those messages are coming from, and I know God is not a God of confusion nor did He lead me here to fail. So I have to draw strength and comfort in His promise that He will "never leave not forsake me." I know that goes for my wife and kids, too. Amen to that.

Please keep us in your prayers. Thank you.

Friday, January 16, 2009

More on the Gas Chamber

1-16-09
One of my peers actually took his video-camera into the gas chamber the other day. If you want to see what we experienced, click on this link:

http://www.facebook.com/video/?oid=53284948944

I am not in the actual scene, but I was in the room at the same time this was taken. I was closer to the door on the far wall. But if you listen carefully, you can just barely hear my voice as I state my name.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

1st Aid day

1-15-09

Not too much happened today, except for about 5 hours of combat first aid training. The Army expects all Soldiers to have basic knowledge of first aid and life saving skills, especially on the battle field, but the Chaplain is actually expected to play a vital role in this. The reasoning is simple: we are not allowed to carry a weapon, and therefore cannot participate in a gun-fight, so we might as well be useful in combat -- which means helping the medic. Knowing this, we were actually taught how to insert and start an IV today. Yes, you heard that correctly: we all learned how to stick our buddy with an IV needle and hook up and start a saline bag. My former nursing friends would be astonished, because I thought you needed a medical or nursing license to do that! Well, not in the military, I suppose. In fact, they told us that all Soldiers heading out on a combat mission now have an IV line inserted in their arm, capped off, and taped to their skin -- just in case it is needed in the battle! The plastic tip can stay in the vein for 72 hours until it needs to be removed, so they are being proactive and inserting it ahead of time.

We also saw some pretty graphic photos of battle injuries to help us understand the serious nature of combat life saving skills. As some of you know, I used to work in the morgue at a former job, and I still felt some of these photos were pretty disturbing. A number of different medics told us in the training that the two people who are protected the most by the Soldiers are the medic and the Chaplain. So that's good news. I like hearing that!

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Gas Chamber







1-14-09

This was a horrible experience! Today was the day they marched us all through the gas chamber to familiarize us with the equipment and simulate what it might be like should an enemy attack with a chemical weapon. We had a class on Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear weapons, and the protecive gear that the military uses for its Soldiers. In a mock situation (and the quiz next week), I have to be able to put my mask on correctly in less than 9 seconds. As you can see from the pictures, we were like sheep led to the slaughter, and it was nasty.

The experience consisted of walking into a 20x20 room with numerous instructors all around. The gas was like thick smoke in the entire room, and immediately, if your mask was not properly fit or sealed, you were in pain. Eyes watered and your lungs burned. Then, each Chaplain was required to take his mask off and state your name, rank, and social security number, before putting it back on and re-sealing it to your face. I got through that OK, because I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Yet even then it hurt and burned your throat. But, just before you left, they required us to do it again and look at the instructor (who asked you questions). This time you could not minimize the pain, and it was unlike anything I have ever felt before. I did not take a good breath, and my eyes hurt immediately. I could not breathe and could not take in any more air. I thought I was going to die. Literally. It was the closest thing I have ever experienced to a panic attack because I could not breathe nor see, and they wanted me to stay in my place before releasing me to "walk" (not run) out the door. I might have passed out had they made me stay much longer. Ultimately, I made it through it, coughing, spitting, and hacking up a lung (as did everyone else) for the next 20 minutes. It was an awful experience, and I'm glad we only have to do it once.

As for the rest of the day, we had a mini PT test this morning, and I did pretty well. I will concentrate on my sit-ups, because I can easily pass the push-ups and the run portion. But at 0600 in 32 degree weather, we were all hurting! I could not feel my toes, several fingers, and parts of my face during the run. But all is good, the feeling returned during a quick shower before class. They are giving us about 30-40 minutes total for personal time in our rooms for breakfast and lunch. Factoring in a 10 minute walk to class, it makes for a quick shower, speedy breakfast, and fast change to get back in class on time. And they are sticklers for time around here! Gotta run. Talk to you more later....

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Letters from Home


1-13-09

My first care package from home arrived today, and it was awesome! I am so blessed by my wife and girls back home. All three wrote me nice cards, and then they included a few items I needed from home, as well as some food and other goodies. It was great. (Thank you, girls, I love you). I now know how great it is to be a Soldier and get something from home. Thank you Lord for my family. This is my bulletin board here in my dorm room. This is what keeps me going each day!
PT at 0530 tomorrow morning in 35 degree weather. See ya there!

Monday, January 12, 2009

Victory Tower day











1-12-09

Today was an exhausting day. We were in formation at 0545 and started a long march to the obstacle course. (It must have been in the 30s, but it warmed up to a balmy 45 or so today). It was brisk, but I did all right in the cold. Tomorrow we start our official PT running as a class, and it is supposed to be even colder and rainy. Perfect for pneumonia! But the obstacle course program is actually for team development, and we were challenged to work as small teams and solve a problem by moving everyone on the team over or through or around an obstacle by using ropes, boards, each other, etc. It was pretty neat. Kind of like "Outward Bound", if you're familiar with their programs.

Then we came home for lunch and returned to the road to march to the Victory Tower-- a 4 story platform with rapelling, ropes, cargo nets, and a few other challenging stations on it. The picture of the personal falling is an actual photo I took of the demonstration by one of the staff members of how safe the course actually is. The "belay" (sp?), or the person holding his ropes at the bottom, stopped him from falling to his death. I was lucky to have caught the shot of him falling. I was able to complete all of the activities, largely because there was a female master sargeant leading the rapelling course and telling all of the Chaplains to "man-up" and do it! There was no way I was going to chicken out then.

Well, tomorrow is more of a classroom day, and Wednesday we go out to the gas chamber. They keep reminding us of this, so it must be a big deal. I'll let you know. By the way, Go Cardinals!! It was kind of nice to have some NFL bragging rights out here in S. Carolina, since many in this neck of the woods were disappointed in the outcome of the game. Not me!

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Hooah!


1-10-09

Made it through the first full week here at CH-BOLC (Chaplain Basic Leader Officer Course), and now it's laundry night! Hooah! [That's a new word to me, by the way. No one seems to know the origin, or what it even means, but they use it all the time in the Army. It seems to mean just about anything you want it to mean, such as "cool" or "yes" or "I understand" or "way to go!" For example, the sergeant will say, "we're going to run that drill again, hooah?" And we all respond in unison, "Hooah!" Some of my colleagues are pretty gung-ho about it, too].

As for the laundry, my wife is home raking the leaves outside and I'm doing laundry inside. She said, "Something's wrong with this picture." I agree. I found myself trying to think through what would my wife do with this shirt? (I can't lie, I had to call her once for guidance!) I've now got clothes hanging all over the room to dry... she would be proud of me.

I think this Program will be pretty challenging, both mentally and physically. Not only will we do all of the Army stuff (saluting, marching, physical training), but there is also a classroom component to it as well. We all have to read quite a bit of material and write a few papers along the way, as well as do some preaching in front of each other--which they will video tape it for review. I understand we each have to lead a worship service out in the field (literally), to practice what it will be like with Soldiers "down range." So they're going to push us and try to make real Army Chaplains out of us by the time this is over. Some of my active duty peers will be deployed within months of ending this class, so they need to be ready. As do we all.

Friday, January 09, 2009

Web Cam




1-9-09


It's the first Friday night of the program, and we have to do more marching and drills tomorrow for another long day. No rest for the weary. I wanted to show you a neat picture of what our webcam set-up looks like. The picture you see here is what I see when I call home on the webcam. It has been wonderful for us, as I can see and talk to the family in real-time. It have really been a blessing to me/us.

Well, they taught us today how to stand at attention, parade rest, salute, about-face command and a few others. Try standing in big 'ol boots at attention for an hour or more. It becomes very uncomfortable real quick. I even think the "at ease" position (with legs about shoulder width apart and hands clasped behind your back) can get uncomfortable, too. It seemed like most of us were rubbing sore muscles and complaining about sore feet. Even some of the guys with prior military service, so I didn't feel like such a wimp.

I am also including a picture of my fellow Chaplain friend, Doug. Some of you asked for a picture of him, so here goes. He has a wife going through the same separation issues back in Ohio, so please add her to your list. (I do not remember her name, but I'll find out).

Have a great weekend and I'll add more soon.... -D

Thursday, January 08, 2009

Army Values


1-8-09

Most of today was spent in the classroom with numerous presentations (a.k.a. "briefings"), including exercise and nutrition (they're big on being in shape here, for some reason), harrassment, TriCare benefits, and a few others. They are also trying to teach us the Army Song and the Soldiers of God Song (for Chaplains). When we got it wrong, they made us drop and do pushups. Seriously.


The Army values, by the way, are: (1) Loyalty, (2) Duty, (3) Respect, (4) Selfish Service, (5) Honor, (6) Integrity, and (7) Personal Courage. You memorize them with the acronym LDRSHIP for "Leadership." If you get these wrong, I'm sure you'll do more pushups.


Funny story: I found a hat sitting on top of a coke machine yesterday with car keys in it (this was in the medical building near the end of the day). So I grabbed it and walked into the closest room to see if the owner was still around. She was. In fact, she was a drill sergeant, and it was her drill hat! (The female version looks different from the round brimmed male version). Anyway, she was kind to me, and asked me if I knew the only person in the Army who would touch a drill sergeant's hat? I suddenly knew where this was going, so I said, "An idiot?" She laughed, and said, "A rookie Officer, because my Privates are afraid of it!" She had me pegged but let me off the hook without dropping me for pushups! Actually, she saw that I was a new Chaplain and probably had some compassion (and grace) for this "idiot!" Needless to say, I know never to do that again!

Tomorrow we get issued our gas masks (for real), because we get to experience the gas chamber next week. That ought to be fun! There are tales of guys throwing up afterwards. Should be a great time. We also get to climb the 8-story "Victory Tower" next week as well. Team-building stuff, we're told. I'm looking forward to that one, too. Finally, I've lost 3 lbs since showing up last weekend, and I'm so glad I did because I passed my height-weight test today with zero room to spare. That means I escaped the "overweight" group that now does extra PT starting next week!

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Long Day


1-7-09

First real taste of Army life today. I was up at 4:00 am to be in formation -- in the rain -- by 5:00 am. We did some marching, ate at a mess hall, and spent all day doing our medical in-processing (hearing, vision, blood draw, shots -- oh yeah, I got 4 of 'em -- and pee in a cup). Fun stuff that should have been completed by lunch took all day. And then we sat and waited 2 hours before the bus returned us to the apartment building. As they say, "Hurry up and wait!" The Lord is working on my patience with all of this, as I have many suggestions to improve the process -- but no one cares. Oh well, I'll get over it.

I am attaching a picture of the dorm where I live. I was not able to take any others today, but I will try to have more pictures soon. By far the majority of Chaplains here are Protestant Christians (of many different denominations, but lots of Baptists). However, we also have a Buddhist Chaplain and two Jewish Rabbi Chaplains as well. Doug, my Ohio State buddy here, has already become a good friend and is my assigned "prayer partner." The Army actually calls it a "Battle buddy" but we vetoed that name and chose prayer partner. Seems to fit us better, don't you think? Gotta run. I'll write more tomorrow.




Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Day 3 (No Hair)




6 Jan 2009




My previous haircut was allegedly not short enough for the drill sergeant, so I went the bald route (as did many of us in the class). I shaved it myself, although that was quite an affair. It took longer than I ever imagined, but I made it through with only a few nicks and cuts. It feels weird... and cold! But I don't have to worry about the wind or rain messing up my hair anymore. I suppose misery loves company, because we all look like dorks now!

We finished up with the dental exams and a trip to the clothing store yesterday. The Army expects officers to purchase their own clothing and equipment, so this can run up quite a bill. For example, we are expected to purchase two pairs of regulation boots, each of which may cost about $100. That's just the boots, not to mention the socks, gloves, hats, ACUs (4 sets required), belts, duffel bag, exercise gear (shoes, socks, shorts, pants, jacket)... you get the picture. Needless to say, my dear sweet accountant wife is freaking out! (I love you, honey)


Anyway, so far so good. We seem to have a great group of men and women here, and a few with prior military experience. Several of our peers have been selected as our student leadership for the class, and every one of us will get opportunities for leadership roles of some kind or another. I'll let you know how that plays out soon. Have a great day!

Sunday, January 04, 2009

Go Buckeye's!

1-4-09
2030 hrs

Yes, you read that right! This is the only time you may ever hear me say that, but I am a Buckeye fan today! God answered two of my recent prayers through Ohio State fans, and so I have to praise His sense of humor. 1st, my next door neighbor, Mark, helped us set up a new computer before I left. That was so helpful and appreciated. And 2nd, I arrived without a car, and so I knew I needed some help driving around the base (to the clothing store, the PX, etc.), and so I began praying for a new friend with a car here in the program! And God already answered that prayer today with a new friend named Doug from Columbus, Ohio. (Go figure!) We met in the lobby and he was heading to Walmart and invited me to go along.

Goes to show, God can even use a Buckeye!

As for the first day of class... lots of paperwork already. They call this "In-Processing" and it's all about getting your pay accurate! So when they tell you that, it promotes patience in the crowd. There seems to be about 80 new Chaplains here in this class (all but 5 are male), some of which are in their 50s. Three people raised their hands to state they were already grandparents. But most appear to be in their high 20s to high 30s. I guess I'm almost over the hill by Army standards.

Let me post my mailing address here, as it may be different from what I was originally told:

My Name and Rank (1LT)
USACHCS
CH-BOLC Class #09-001
10100 Lee Road
Fort Jackson, SC 29207-7090

I hope to hear from you, either post a comment or send a letter.
Goodnight.

I made it to Fort Jackson










1-4-09




Yesterday was a travel day for me. I said goodbye to my family in a tearful moment in the airport and flew to Atlanta before catching a shorter flight to Columbia, South Carolina. My cousin brought his son and they met me in the Atlanta airport for a hour. It was nice to see them and catch up. Ironicaly, while waiting for the 2nd flight I got to catch most of the 4th quarter of the AZ Cardinals beating the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL playoffs. That was cool.

Despite the fog, I finally made it to Fort Jackson and then to my room. I am staying in a 5 story brick building that has a feel of a mix between a college dorm and an extended-stay hotel. I actually have a small apartment, with a kitchen, bedroom, living room area and bedroom (see pictures). I can't complain... yet. Although the loud speaker on a pole outside my building did blast reveille at 0600 this morning (Sunday!). For some reason they don't want you sleeping in around here! Oh well, welcome to the Army. I have to report for my first class this afternoon at 1400, so I'll let you know how that went later.






Friday, January 02, 2009

New Recruit Haircut (Jan 2)


I leave for Fort Jackson tomorrow, and one of the requirements is to show up on day one with a "New Recruit" haircut. (Officers need to get it done on their own). So, I asked a friend from church (Carrie) who is a hairdresser, to set me up. I think she thought this was funny!

Thursday, January 01, 2009

Greetings and Happy New Year 2009



1-1-09

Greetings family and friends,

This is my first entry on my new blog, which I hope to keep up to date regarding my experiences, training and "adventures" as a Chaplain in the United States Army Reserves.

I'll be heading off to Chaplain Basic Officer Leadership Course (CH-BOLC) in a few days, so I'm currently getting ready to leave. The packing list is immense, and the stress is mounting. Nothing about this process has been fast, easy, or cheap, but here we are nonetheless. Please pray for me and my family over the next 90 days and I'll keep you posted as the days go by....