Welcoming a Brother in Arms Home

Today we at Fort Leavenworth welcomed home one of our own to his final resting place.

The door gunner on the Chinook helicopter that was shot down in Afghanistan about a week ago with Special Forces aboard was buried at the Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery.  He was only a 21 year old Specialist when he gave all for his country.

To welcome this young man home and to give him the honor he deserved for the price he paid Soldiers, Family Members, and Civilians lined Grant Ave on both sides rendering a salute as this patriot was driven by.

Honor where honor is due.

From the front gate to the cemetery there were 1000's of Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine personnel and hundreds of civilians and Family Members paying their respects to this Soldier.  He was led on to post with the Patriot Guard (of which I am a member but did not ride in this one).  It was a mile long procession of motorcyclist, the Soldier's family, law enforcement and many others.  Protecting from the rear was a final contingency of Patriot Guard riders.

Patriot Guard

As the procession moved down the road the Soldiers came to attention and saluted holding the salute until the Soldier had passed their position.  I can only imagine the family driving on post and begin to see a line of people solemnly standing on the side of the rode to welcome their son home to his military family.  To see 1000's of military personnel and civilians rendering a salute or standing silently along the road giving a final respect to a patriot.

In this world where we have to deal with people from organizations like Westboro Baptist Church from Topeka Kansas.  This church's main purpose is to spew hate towards those who protect their freedom to say what they want. What I saw today was people demonstrating love, care and compassion not just for their fallen brother but for the family that escorted their love one.

As the family drove by close enough for me to see their faces as it caused me to choke back tears as I could see the pain on their faces and yet relief and comfort by seeing so many standing there to support them.  We may not have been allowed to go to the cemetery to be with them as they laid their patriot to rest but I believe lining that street today in Fort Leavenworth brought more healing then any one could convey.

It was a honor to be able to welcome this young man onto post.  A duty that I did not out of obligation because of an order but because it is the least I can do to say thank you for his willingness of this one to lay down his life for his brothers and sisters.  As Jesus said no greater love then for one to lay down their life for another.

Many don't realize that less then 1% of those eligible to serve actually serve.  This means that when one life is lost it is felt hard by all of us in the military.  My request is that more would do like we did today.  They would line the streets to welcome the living and the dead Soldiers home.  For if more would do as we did then we would drown out the hatred spewed out by people like those from Westboro Baptist.  If you own a motorcycle I invite you to become part of the Patriot Guard and protect those who simply want to peacefully lay their family member to rest.

If you know that even one Military personnel is arriving home from a deployment to an airport near you I ask that you would gather family and friends and greet them at the airport and express your gratitude.  You don't have to support the war just support those who protect your right to be free to believe the way you do.

When You Hold God To His Standard...

It is interesting how we as humans feel it necessary to remind God what His Word says.  A couple of months ago I found myself doing just that.  To understand what I am talking about let me back up for a minute.


In the fall of '09 I was accepted to the resident Intermediate Level Education course (ILE) at Fort Leavenworth, KS.  I was initially supposed to report last summer but was slightly tied up do to a "deployment."  The quotes are for emphasis because this "deployment" was to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.  Those who have been to Camp Arifjan know that it is more of an unaccompanied tour then a deployment.  Yet I digress.


Because my selection was a surprise and because we had purchased a house De'Dee and I discussed our options.  We chose that I would go as a geographical bachelor while De'Dee remained with the house until it sold.  We were set with this plan for De'Dee to wait because the house is only two hours away from where we are moving to.


We realized that after a year of being gone and not getting R&R that being apart is definitely not what we want.  We also learn that most days I would be done with class by 1230 - 1300 (1230 - 1:00 pm for civilians).  That made it even more that we did not want to lose that time together.  So we began to pray.


The prayers went something like this,  "Heavenly Father, your word says...."  We then proceeded to remind him of our faithfulness and what his word had to say.  Specifically to the point of the fact that we are not to remain apart unless it is for prayer and fasting.


I mean it must be God's fault that we made the decision to be apart and that the house wasn't selling.  So if he wanted for us to be together like his word says then he best sell the house.  After praying this prayer a few times God stopped me and asked me what I was going to do about the situation.  I thought me I can't sell this house only you can.  He began to show me that I had a responsibility to hold to his word also and I wasn't.


You see I had not done anything to make sure De'Dee was coming with me.  No movers set up nothing.  So I proceeded to contact transportation and get the movers over to our house in the Fort Riley area and bring her to Fort Leavenworth, KS so we are together.


No, the house has not sold but it seems God wants us to rent it and not sell it at this time.  De'Dee is here with me and though it is hitting our pocket book pretty hard to have a mortgage and rent.  Yet this situation is much better with having De'Dee here with me.  God is protecting hour finances and keeping faithful on his part.


Just be aware that if you are going to hold God to his standards and Word I would make sure you are doing your part because he will call you on it as you have him.

Chaplains as Non-Combatants

Most know that I am an Army Chaplain.  I am currently assigned to the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, KS.  I am assigned here to attend Intermediate Level Education (ILE), it is a year long graduate level course.


Being in this scholastic environment has caused me to reflect on something that I have simply pondered and debated both sides in the past.  That topic is the regulation concerning chaplains caring weapons.


The reason I am writing this blog is to confirm or deny things that I have heard over the last 27 years concerning chaplains and fire arms.  The intent is to open a discussion concerning chaplains and fire arms.


For those who are not aware of the Army regulations concerning chaplains carrying weapons AR 165-1 states that chaplains will not carry a weapon.  For those who are history buffs you may be aware that chaplains throughout history have at times carried weapons.  Prior to 11 September 2001 the regulations was more ambiguous and said chaplains should not carry a weapon.


The Geneva Convention gives some evidence as to where the basis of chaplains not carrying weapons comes from.  The Geneva Convention states that chaplains are non-combatants.


So here is what you can do for me.  Tell me what you think concerning chaplains carrying weapons.  It does not have to be long but please just don't say that you think they should or should not carry weapons.  Give me the reason why you feel the way you do.  If this does turn into a research paper for school I may like to contact some of you for more input.


Blessings

Back To School

I recently was ordered back to school.  Yes, you read correctly ordered.  Being in the Army there are many things you get ordered to do.  In this case it was to go to school.  The last time I attended formal schooling was back when I attended seminary in 1995.


Considering the options this is not such a bad thing.  My choices were doing all or part of the school online or attend the residence course.  The last time I did correspondence schooling it took me two years to finish the final classes to get my M-Div.  I in fact did sign up originally to do this schooling online in the summer of 2008.  By September of 2009 I was notified that I had 90 days to complete the course, I had not even started.  I rejoiced when I was selected to come to this school in residence.  In the Chaplain Corps to do ILE in residence is considered and honor.  They say I am the best of the best.  I know many who are better at being a chaplain then I.


The school that I am at is Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, KS. The course that I am taking is Intermediate Level Education (ILE).  It is my next level of military education.  In this case it is unlike typical military education in the fact that it is more of a college setting and is considered masters level education.  In fact many leave here with a Masters in Military Arts and Science.  Have not decided if I am going for another masters degree but the school itself is still at that level.


As I prepared for my first day of class the other day I caught myself having those typical first day of school thoughts. What am I going to wear (like I have a choice I am in the Army it is a military school I wear the uniform that I am told to wear.)? What if the other "kids" don't like me?  What if I don't do well?  You remember those thoughts you had on the first day.  Many of the thoughts I had were crazy for going to school in a military setting.  Some were crazy just simply considering my age.  I had to chuckle inside as the thoughts ran through my head.  All the good, bad, and ugly memories of my first days of school came flooding back.


The greatest challenge is getting back into the mode of homework.  I was telling De'Dee tonight that I feel like I am struggling to get the 25 meter targets knocked down let alone the other targets that are out there.  For those not in the military when on a qualification range you have targets spaced at 25, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 meters apart.  25 meters should be easy and definitely not how close you want the enemy to get.  You prefer to hit the 300 meters targets.


Getting used to being in a college setting again is going to take some adjustment but I will get there.  I have no choice, for to fail would mean not getting promoted.  I am not done moving up.  Too many things left to do.


The thing that struck me the other day is that I was informed that "C's" are a failing grade.  I was dependent upon "C's" to get me through undergraduate and graduate studies.  They obviously did not see my transcripts or I am sure I would not be here today.  Of course then I was paying and working my way through school.  Here I am being paid to be in school.  Another example of your tax dollars at work.


For those taking classes my sympathies are with you.  I had forgotten what school was like.  Now I remembered why I did not want to go back to school.  I have encouraged many to finish there schooling.  I guess I best start setting the example for them and my girls.  Time to get a big straw and suck it up.